Cottage industries are essentially small scale industries run mostly by a handful of men in or near their own houses. For a country like India with such a huge population, a large number of people remain unemployed. This is a great national loss and the discontent leads to social unrest. People must have some means of livelihood-which cannot be provided by big industries alone. The only alternative is the cottage industries.
Cottage industries do not require much money and they can be carried on even at home. These can be run even by members of a family. Cottage industries can keep the peasants engaged during the several months of off-season they have in the year. Apart from the regular income this will fetch round the year, cottage industries will bring life and activity into the villages and stop the drift to towns. The economy of the villages will therefore improve.
India is famous for her cottage industries. The silk, wood-works, silver-works and articles of arts and crafts are amongst the best and cheapest. We have also many other cottage industries such as hand loom industry, pottery, ivory works, leather works-which are famous all over the world. If properly developed, these will certainly bring glory and prosperity to the country. (212)
