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We all know the story of Britain's industrialization. Coal and iron to steel, steam engines to drain mines, propel ships and trains; mills and factories with water or steam power for fabric and other manufactures, etc. In India, things weren't quite so broad. Indian textiles did do very well before British manufacturing dominated that sector, and later developments saw greater, if uneven, industrial investment across the country, but economic and industrial growth was virtually nil. India went from 20-25% of the world's economy in the 18th century to a mere 3% by the 20th.

18th century India was however, rather wealthy and productive. Its economy and population were enormous, and Indian export trade dominated European markets. For these obvious reasons, India was pretty valuable to the British and French as they squabbled over Indian trade, but I'm not proposing a divided or French India.

So, given India's economic clout and advantages, what if it experienced an Industrial Revolution more or less in tandem with the British one?

As the British East India Company expands its control over India in the 18th century, suppose it continues to invest in textile production. A practical profit-minded fellow in the EIC applies some of the early industrial lessons to the factories the company has invested in, over time boosting productivity from older methods. Joined with British capital and machinery exports to India, textiles and mining spur a widening and deepening industrial base. India has of course a very large internal market, and access to Asian and European ones through expanding British 19th century shipping. The EIC, former EIC administrators and others being now heavily invested in India's industries, there are enough interest group pressures to keep attempts at British internal protectionism from restricting development. Given that Britain and India are developing their industry together, such sectors would probably be rather organically complimentary, developing in somewhat separate directions. Ideally, early demand and development spurs a greater class of crafts-workers and others of technical skill in the country as the 19th century progresses, supporting ever-broadening growth and hopefully Indian innovation in industries.

Indian agricultural production would of course remain very important, if less so as industry grows. In early years, the very proximity of Indian production centers to bulk commodities could be an important factor in their advantage. Shipping cotton is rather more expensive that shipping finished cloth, after all.

I can't really speculate what social effects this would engender in India at this point; as it is it's only a germ of an idea. No doubt I'm missing roadblocks obvious to those who know Indian history in this era better than I, so how else might this tandem-industry begin?

Can we really have an Industrial British India?
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