Why did industrial production in India increase during the First World War?
Industrial production in India increased during the First World War due to several interconnected reasons.
Before the war, industrial growth in India was slow. However, the First World War created a dramatically new situation for Indian industries. With British mills busy with war production to meet the needs of the army, Manchester imports into India declined significantly.
This decline in imports meant that suddenly, Indian mills had a vast home market to supply. They no longer faced stiff competition from British goods in the domestic market.
As the war prolonged, Indian factories were called upon to supply war needs. They produced essential items such as jute bags, cloth for army uniforms, tents, leather boots, horse and mule saddles and various other items for the war effort.
To meet this increased demand, new factories were set up and old ones ran multiple shifts. Many new workers were employed and everyone was made to work longer hours. Over the war years, industrial production boomed as a result of these changes.
Explanation
This answer addresses all key points from the textbook context: (1) the war created a new situation, (2) British mills were occupied with war production leading to decline in Manchester imports, (3) Indian mills gained access to a vast home market, (4) Indian factories supplied war needs like jute bags, uniforms, tents, boots and saddles, (5) new factories were established and old ones ran multiple shifts with more workers and longer hours. The answer follows the 5-mark format with 5 paragraphs and uses bold for key terms as required.