| I am very happy to be here to-day to inaugurate
the 23rd Annual Session of the Indian
Ceramic Society. The State of Uttar Pradesh
has been one of the pioneer States for
the development of glass industry in the
country. It is also in this State that we
find glass industry thriving at diffe::-ent
levels : as cottage industry, small-scale industry
and heavy industry. The glass bangle
industry, one of the biggest cottage industries
of the country, producing goods worth
about Rs. 3.5 crores and providing employment
to about 30,000 people, is a peculiar
feature of this State. It produces about
90-95 per cent of the total bangles produced
in India and is concentrated in one
town-Firozabad. Last year when I was
there, I was happy to note the development
of the industry at the cottage level. |
