The materials sector in India can be categorised under two main divisions, namely the production of raw metal ores and that of metal products. The production of metal ores in the country is dominated by that of zinc ore and its concentrates. On the other hand, pig iron production comprises a major share of the country’s production of metal products. Different forms of metals are traded across India such as raw metals, metal and fabricated metal products. The latter category includes equipment and machinery. The materials industry needs to shift to production of newer forms such as nano materials, cryogenic materials and so on to meet up with global standards. The manufacturing sector also forms the backbone of the country’s economy as it employs a large part of the non-agricultural workforce and also supports the service sector. The Indian manufacturing network has witnessed robust growth in recent years due to the liberalisation of trade barriers, and strengthening of global distribution systems and the information technology infrastructure. Some of the sub-sectors that come under the manufacturing industry include capital goods, petroleum, packaging, electronic goods, mining, leather products and so on. Hide this