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Figure 1.1 Industries in focus.
The main motive of the individual running the company is to earn profit and these are not state controlled. The terms of employment may vary from company to company based on the interests of the owner. In India, most of the private sector industries are known to be paying higher salaries to its employees as compared to government industries but government jobs are seen to offer more job security benefits while under employment and even after it. All these are interdependent, we may say that primary sector industries are responsible for production of raw materials, the secondary sector process these raw materials to transform them into useful goods, and the tertiary sector utilizes and makes these products available to the consumers. Let us now focus on some industries and understand their requirements and production mechanisms.
In this part, we will be discussing about all the various industries, their functioning, and the importance that they hold. Let us understand the working of a few industries.
1.2.1 Agriculture Industry
This is one of the most important sectors as it caters to resolve the hunger of the country’s entire population. This industry is the source of livelihood to about 58% of India’s population. Most of the agricultural plots happen to be in the rural areas where development is far behind that in the bigger towns and cities. In India, particularly, agriculture is very widely practiced and it serves as the source of income to a considerably large section of India’s working population, both men and women. Especially the residents of suburbs, villages and small towns have taken to agriculture as their means of employment and livelihood. Industrial agriculture is the practice of monoculture of a particular crop to be sold commercially, i.e., not only for the purpose of one’s own usage. Cultivation of any crop requires resources such as land, soil, water, and fertilizers along with knowledge, dedicated, constant attention, and care. It is one sphere that requires physically intensive efforts especially if there is an absence of machinery. In earlier times, when technology was not what we know it as today, agriculture was practiced with the help of animals to facilitate various tasks. In present times, with the ever increasing size of the population the demand for food crops is also going up, the scope of agricultural produce is local, national as well as international as there is a massive trade prevalent between various countries over the exchange of these commodities, which, in turn, adds to the economy of the country. The crop needs constant care and treatment from the time the seeds are sown up until its harvest. The produce from this industry serves as raw material for certain other industries therefore the need to ensure good product quality is further heightened as it will directly impact the other sectors as well. Incorporation of advanced technologies has benefitted this sector extensively, which we shall look into later in the course of this chapter.
1.2.2 Manufacturing Industry
Manufacturing industry is a broad term used to refer to any industry that is involved in the task of production of any particular commodity. Considering the example of a car manufacturing company, there exist various stages of manufacturing and assembling different components. Precision remains a key necessity to ensure proper product quality as even if a single part deviates from its correct dimensions, the end result would be faulty leading to wastage of resources, money, and time. The other key requirement is to ensure maximum utilization of available machinery to increase production and thus profit. The quality of a raw material chosen also plays a major role in determining the finished product and hence needs to be kept under check. Keeping track of quantities of each part that is produced and sent down the assembly line is a cumbersome yet essential task. Record of date of production and assembly of parts need be kept as in case a fault in equipment is seen later, it will be necessary to trace down the articles that went through it as there may be risk of faulty products having been produced. Also, to provide good after sales care to the users and to ensure timely renewal or maintenance is carried out as per requirement. Lastly, demand of any particular product should be kept under consideration so as to increase or decrease the quantity to maintain the demand supply chain.
1.2.3 Food Production Industry
The major difficulty for this industry is the perishable nature of food items. Storage and processing need to be carried out at suitable temperature so as to keep the commodity intact. The accuracy of the date of manufacture and date of expiry that are mentioned on the packaging needs to be maintained. Like any other manufacturing, a proper record needs to be maintained as to which product is processed with which equipment and at what time so that in case a fault is found in any equipment, the products requiring a review can be tracked. Since food items are meant for consumption by the customers, certain standards pertaining to the quality and handling of these commodities need to be kept under consideration. It is also recommended that a complete record of where the raw material was obtained from, how was has been transported, processed, packed, and delivered should be kept and should also be made available to any customer who may want to know the same. The ingredients must also be mentioned correctly as a considerable chunk of population beholds allergies; therefore, the correct composition of the product should be mentioned. Another key factor is to maintain hygienic conditions at all levels of handling food stuff, any contamination to edible products may make the consumer ill, which would, in turn, invoke legal response against the manufacturing unit depending upon the severity of harm caused. This industry also needs to keep a close watch at the demand and supply chain because of the perishable nature; some items may not have a very long shelf life.
1.2.4 Healthcare Industry
This industry has become one of India’s biggest sectors in term of both economy as well as employment. It is also a primary determinant factor for the GDP of a country. This is one such critical industry that encompasses great responsibility and attention. Even the minute details sometimes end up putting a patient’s life at stake. Specialization and accuracy form its foundation. In any condition ranging from minor discomfort, fever to emergencies such as a fracture or heart attack are all taken care of by this sector. The composition of the services it provides covers prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and medical rehabilitation. Herein, it is essential to keep accurate and updated records of the available drugs as in case a patient requires its administration it must be available and should be well within its shelf life. Hospitals need to maintain proper records of the patient who have been treated and store case history along with the treatment provided to any individual. For patients suffering from a chronic disease, case history must be available in case the patient is brought in emergency. This industry also performs surgeries and transplants in keeping with procedures to cure or lengthen the life span of the patients. In this process, certain highly specialized surgeries are sometimes conducted which require sophisticated equipment and knowledge.
1.2.5 Military
This industry comes under the tertiary sector as it is a form a service to a nation and its citizens. The Indian Armed Force is under the Government of India and is managed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). India possesses the world’s second largest military after China. The military service in India serves in three three wings each for a different landform. The three arms are the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy. The Army is the ground force that battles any threat that prevails in their country on land. The Air force is the unit that takes charge of all the aerial operations and security. The naval force maintains the safety of the waters that come under the jurisdiction of the country. All these forces have officers that are allotted various ranks and positions according to their specialization; the highest rank is that of the chief who also holds the responsibility of making all the crucial decisions. Each officer has to qualify for
