The paper critically examines India’s long-standing emphasis on large-scale industries under the Nehruvian

model of economic development and argues for a more balanced industrial structure. While the dominance of

large-scale industries and public sector enterprises once symbolized modernization and economic self-reliance,

their long-term effects have revealed deep socio-economic imbalances. The author highlights that excessive

dependence on large-scale industrialization has led to displacement of craftsmen, loss of traditional livelihoods,

urban overcrowding, pollution, income inequality, and moral degradation among workers. Drawing from

historical shifts since the 1990s, the paper notes how policy reorientations under leaders like P.V. Narsimha

for sustainable, equitable, and employment-oriented growth. The paper advocates a paradigm shift in India’s

developmental mindset toward balanced industrialization that integrates economic efficiency with social

responsibility.

development; Urbanization; Sustainable growth

Nehruvian model of economic development contained in it two important features (Balakrishnan, 2007).

Domination of Public Sector under the garb of mixed economy and the primacy of Large-Scale Industries over

likes of Medium and Small-Scale ones. When even after tasting the experiment of Public Sector domination for

more than four decades it could not deliver the desired results, it became imperative for our rulers to review the

industries too was taken care of almost at the same time and an enhanced and enriched importance was

accorded to other sectors viz., medium and small sectors and the likes. However, the growth of these

unfortunately could not catch the desired speed (Raj, 1976). Our successive rulers at the center and in the states

could not convince properly the stakeholders about the changed role of medium and small-scale industries and

the likes of these (Mohan, 2002). However, a national debate over the requirement of changed composition of

these sectors continued and some positive results also started becoming visible. In course of time gradual

increase in contribution of medium and small-scale industries along with cottage and village industries, in our

G.D.P., and export forced to accept the fact that the neglected sectors too can contribute greatly to the economy

if they are provided requisite support and encouragement from the rulers (Rai, 2018). It was almost this time

that the agricultural activities and cooperative movement was able to snatch the higher attention of the policy

answer is that our land-population proportion is different compared to those who heavily depended upon the

large-scale industries. We had to, in addition to attaining economic development, provide employment to our

unemployed population too many of whom were becoming the victim of small land holdings problem because

of increasement in the size of the families, failing which we would have invited them to join the urban centers

and look for peripheral employments. By the time we could understand that industrialization led urbanization

adds problems more than addressing these. The popular art movie ‘PATHER PANCHALI’ by Sri Satyajit Ray

was able to draw the attention of the nation towards the problem of displaced craftsmen though symbolically.

Such displaced craftsmen are ordinarily not left with any other option but to join urban centers either as

industrial workers or remain as members of the peripheral force in the industrial cities if not unemployed (Das,

1998).

and familiar environment when they join the units producing at large scale, they find themselves as a ‘cog in

their eyes, to recall their flexi-time facility in their earlier employment life along with their authority as a major

decision makers which now is enjoyed by the managers and the union leaders as their representatives. Their

moving out of the accepted equilibrium in their earlier employment makes them feel insecure with the present

employment which because of the fast pace of change in technology asks them for equipping and adapting with

the changes, many of which are not welcome by them. The menace of industrial accidents and occupational

in the shoes of their fellow workers as victims. They undergo a very different state of trauma when

They feel amazed when they realize that it is this Large Scale Industries which are responsible for changes in

their meals’ pattern, ingredients, timings and type, their modes and models of entertainment and recreation,

their worshipping modes and timings, their routine, their attire, their interpersonal and group relations, their

family relations-one of the distorted form of which is available in ‘old homes’, their diseases and ailments and

its curative modes which includes involvement of huge expenditure, their moral values and sensitivity levels &

types and so on. With a lowered morale and having a poor sense of belongingness with the industry they are

now attached to, owing to the contributors above, they can hardly be expected to contribute their highest and

the best which finally results into failing to attain the requisite productivity, apart from others.

The ill effects of Large-Scale Industries which influence the industrial workers indirectly are not less

creating disharmony, disputes and conflicts, increased heterogeneity hitting at unity efforts resulting into

increasing dependence on the unions, management and also the state and the evils like prostitution and child

and bonded labor could be cited as some, as this list is not exhaustive.

Large Scale Industries inevitably invite urbanization which of course could be justified from their perspective.

However, the countries like India, can afford the large-scale industries only having a balanced proportion. In

the paras above the ill effects of unabated urbanization have been pointed out only in the form of bullet points.

Truly speaking each of these is capable of damaging our social system and economy not only in the long run

but also in the near future. Owing to paucity of space It is not possible to throw light in detail about the

damaging contributions of all these. Only one or two of these if discussed in detail may help us in

understanding its menace through their negative contributions. Let us pick up a few.

visiting workers not only often suffer from venereal and other diseases but their living in slums also contribute

negatively to their health. The compound impact of these acquires the shape of poor morale of the workers

finally culminating in reduced productivity for the industry and moral degradation of the society. Dharavi in

Bombay is only one, out of hundreds in our country, where lakhs of workers live in inhuman conditions and

which is the biggest market for brothel owners and pimps. Police records are evident that the magnitude of

anti-social and anti-national activities is much higher in these slums than the normal localities of the society. In

order to cater to the needs of these slum habitants the girls are lured & blackmailed, abducted and at times

bought leaving not only the girls themselves but also their families into trauma and nightmares. This often

leads to high drop out rates of the girls from the schools and sometimes hatred for the society and the system.

At times when privately owned industrial units are shut down suddenly, owing to recession or whatever, there

Few of us might know that thousands of children are reported missing every year from our country.

Investigative sources reveal that most of these children are sold in west Asian countries by the abductors and

ratified the I.L.O., resolution for completely banning child labor, we have not yet been able to overcome from

this unhealthy and inhuman activity. A spot visit of any brick clin in the country shall speak the truth behind

this claim. Persons suffering from the syndrome of cognitive dissonance only might insist that issues related to

missing children and child labor is a matter of law and order. This understanding cannot be refuted on technical

grounds. Nonetheless we need to understand that the genesis of such evils is uncontrolled urbanization having

its roots in Industrialization at Large Scale and with Large Scale Industries. The purpose of delineation of the

data in the Table no. 1 is not only to substantiate, but in a subtle sense to make the society aware and sensitive

towards such matters.

Production at large scale sometimes is inevitable and at times more profitable to yield the higher gains through

the economies of scale. In our country this role of Large-Scale Industries is largely over as the requisite

infrastructural facilities are now in service and the sectors other than the large-scale one, are gradually coming

up to support the economy. As for the second important gain is concerned it can be argued that we need to

rethink and review if we are to continue to play on the pitch of highly industrialized countries which do not

have capital crunch of the volume we possess, and also which are not to bother to provide employment to their

people as much as the population rich countries like us. Our successive governments experiments in this

direction have yielded results in this direction and our medium and small-scale industries along with village

and cottage industries have shown its might in being able to rescue us fully from the vicious circle of the rut we

have been in. The table no. 2 may help us in grasping the matter.

Table 2 shows the contribution of various Industries to GDP

hour thus is to change our mindset.

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2. Das, S. (1998). Satyajit Ray: an intimate master. Allied Publishers.

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9. Raj, K. N. (1976). Growth and stagnation in Indian industrial development. Economic and Political

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