□ Maharashtra
◇ Top position with respect to the cotton textile industry for a pretty long time.
◇ Mumbai had been holding the prestigious position with as many as 65 mills out of a total of 122 mills in MH. It was rightly called the cotton polis of India.
□ Following factors favored the development of cotton textile in Mumbai:-
• Humid climate is helpful because the thread does not break so frequently.
• Mumbai is a very important port.
• Cheap hydroelectricity is readily available.
• The black-cotton soil in the hinterland of Mumbai provides cotton as the basic raw material.
• Cheap labour from the surrounding areas.
• Ready market for Mumbai products both in India and abroad.
• Mumbai is well–connected by a network of roads and railways.
• Facilities for washing and dyeing also exist here.
• No dearth of capital inputs.
• Advantage of an early start.
◇ Apart from Mumbai, Solapur, Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, etc.