Account for the present location of iron and steel industries away from the source of raw material, by giving examples. (UPSC 2020)

Iron and steel industries are no longer tied only to mines because modern transport, imported inputs, and market demand have reduced the cost advantage of sitting near raw materials. Since steel is a weight-losing industry, earlier plants grew near coal and iron ore, but this logic has weakened.

• Market proximity: Finished steel is costlier to move, so plants now locate near large consuming centres. Examples are mini-steel units around Delhi-NCR and the Mumbai-Pune belt.
• Port-based location: Coastal sites ease import of coking coal and export of steel. Examples include Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, JSW Dolvi and Essar Steel at Hazira.
• Scrap and electricity: Electric arc furnaces use scrap and power, allowing decentralised plants away from ore fields.
• Better transport: Rail, roads and slurry pipelines have cut the burden of moving bulky raw materials over long distances.

Thus, location is now shaped more by market access, logistics, imports and energy than by raw material alone.