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| Glass Industry in India |
Glass is an inorganic product produced by melting a mixture of silica, soda, and lime. It covers products such as flat glass (including sheet glass, float glass, figured and wired glass, safety glass, and mirror), hollow wares, laboratory glassware, fiberglass, and other consumer items such as bangles, beads, pearls, etc.
Glass Industry in India
The first modern Indian glass manufacturing industry was started way back in 1908. Since then, it has grown by leaps and bounds. Its flat glass industry is valued at 2 Billion USD. Recently, the Indian Glass Industry is facing stiff competition from international glass industries in the areas of specialty and scientific glassware, but there is a lot of hope of Indian Glass Industry.
The Indian glass industry can be divided into two categories: 1. cottage industry and 2. factory industry.
Cottage Glass Industry
Under Cottage Glass Industry, glass bangles are made in small furnaces either from glass blocks produced in factories or from inferior glass manufactured from the impure sands of the rivers. Other major items that come under Cottage Glass Industry are decorative glassware, tablewares, glass pots, and lamps. These Cottage industries are mainly concentrated in Firozabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Belgaum (Karnataka).
Glass Factories
The Glass Factory Industries are spread across the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Punjab. Uttar Pradesh mainly produces sheet glass, hollow and pressed wares (bulbs, chimneys, reflectors, and motor headlights). West Bengal and Maharashtra are known for glass tubes, test- tubes, beakers, and flat glass. Lastly, Punjab dominates the production of scientific glass goods.
Image Credit: Don Sniegowski