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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 8 Social Studies★ 5-7 marks in the TN Class 8 annual exam through book-back MCQs, fill-ups and short answers

Industries

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 8 Social Science — Geography Chapter 6, Industries. How industries are classified by raw material (agro-based and mineral-based) and by scale (cottage, small-scale and large-scale), the major industries (iron and steel, cotton textile, cement), and the factors that decide where an industry is located. Notes with the actual book-back questions, common mistakes and quick revision.

⏱ 16 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Classify industries by raw material
2Classify industries by scale and capital
3Identify major basic industries
4List the factors deciding industrial location
5Give examples for each type of industry

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Why this chapter matters

Industries explains how industries are classified and what decides where they are located — the basis of a country's economy. The agro-/mineral-based and scale classifications and the location factors are directly tested book-back content in the TN Class 8 exam.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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History Ch 6 — Development of Industries

Rise of modern industry.

Industries — Class 8 Social Science (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 8 Social Science, Geography — Chapter 6. How goods are made and where industries grow.

1. About this lesson

This lesson explains the classification of industries by raw material and by scale, the major industries, and the factors that decide their location.

2. Classification by raw material

Agro-based industries use plant and animal products as raw material — e.g. cotton textile, sugar, vegetable oil, dairy and food processing.
Mineral-based industries use minerals as raw material — e.g. iron and steel, cement, aluminium.

3. Classification by scale

Type	Capital	Examples
Cottage / household	very small, family-run	handloom, pottery, basket-making
Small-scale	less than one crore	silk weaving, household industries
Large-scale	more than one crore	iron and steel, oil refineries, cement, textiles

4. Major industries and location factors

The iron and steel industry is a basic (key) industry — it supplies metal to many others.
The cotton textile industry is one of the oldest industries.
Factors deciding the location of an industry: raw materials, power, water, labour, transport, market, capital and government policy.

5. Worked examples

Example 1. Give an example of an agro-based industry. Cotton textile (also sugar, dairy).

Example 2. Iron and steel belongs to which type? A mineral-based, large-scale industry.

Example 3. Name two factors that decide where an industry is located. Raw materials and water (also power, labour, transport, market).

6. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)

I. Choose the correct answer

Industries using plant and animal products are — (a) agro-based / (b) mineral-based. Ans: (a) agro-based.
The iron and steel industry is a ____ industry — (a) mineral-based / (b) agro-based. Ans: (a) mineral-based.
A large-scale industry requires capital of — (a) more than one crore / (b) less than one crore. Ans: (a) more than one crore.
Silk weaving is a ____ industry — (a) small-scale / (b) large-scale. Ans: (a) small-scale.
A factor deciding industrial location is — (a) water resources / (b) the colour of the building. Ans: (a) water resources.

II. Fill in the blanks 6. The cotton textile industry is an agro-based industry. 7. A small-scale industry needs capital of less than one crore. 8. Iron and steel is called a basic (key) industry.

III. Answer briefly 9. Differentiate agro-based and mineral-based industries. 10. State any three factors that decide the location of an industry.

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Calling iron and steel an agro-based industry. Fix: Iron and steel is mineral-based; agro-based uses plant/animal products.
Mistake: Mixing up small-scale and large-scale capital. Fix: Small-scale = less than one crore; large-scale = more than one crore.
Mistake: Forgetting location factors. Fix: Remember raw material, power, water, labour, transport, market, capital, policy.

8. Quick revision

Geography Ch 6 · industries.
By raw material: agro-based (cotton, sugar, dairy) vs mineral-based (iron & steel, cement).
By scale: cottage, small-scale (< 1 crore), large-scale (> 1 crore).
Iron and steel = basic industry; cotton textile = oldest.
Location factors: raw material, power, water, labour, transport, market, capital, policy.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

By raw material

agro-based (plant/animal) vs mineral-based (minerals)

Cotton vs iron & steel.

By scale

cottage · small-scale (< 1 crore) · large-scale (> 1 crore)

By capital.

Basic industry

iron and steel (supplies metal to others)

Key industry.

Location factors

raw material, power, water, labour, transport, market, capital, policy

Decide where to build.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Calling iron and steel an agro-based industry

✓ Iron and steel is mineral-based; agro-based uses plant/animal products.

WATCH OUT

✗ Mixing up small-scale and large-scale capital

✓ Small-scale = less than one crore; large-scale = more than one crore.

WATCH OUT

✗ Forgetting location factors

✓ Remember raw material, power, water, labour, transport, market, capital, policy.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Choose the correct answer

Book-back MCQs on agro-based, iron and steel, scale and location.

Questions

Fill in the blanks

Cotton textile, small-scale capital and basic industry.

Questions

Answer briefly

Agro vs mineral-based, location factors.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· MCQ

Industries using plant and animal products are ____.

▶ Show solution

agro-based industries.

Q2EASY· MCQ

The iron and steel industry is a ____ industry.

▶ Show solution

mineral-based.

Q3EASY· MCQ

A large-scale industry requires capital of ____.

▶ Show solution

more than one crore.

Q4EASY· Fill in the blanks

Silk weaving is a ____ industry.

▶ Show solution

small-scale.

Q5MEDIUM· Answer briefly

Differentiate agro-based and mineral-based industries.

▶ Show solution

Agro-based industries use raw materials from plants and animals (cotton textile, sugar, dairy); mineral-based industries use minerals as raw material (iron and steel, cement, aluminium).

Q6MEDIUM· Answer briefly

State any three factors that decide the location of an industry.

▶ Show solution

Availability of raw materials, power and water (also labour, transport, market, capital and government policy).

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Geography Chapter 6 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 8 Social Science.
•By raw material: agro-based (cotton, sugar, dairy) vs mineral-based (iron & steel, cement).
•By scale: cottage, small-scale (less than one crore), large-scale (more than one crore).
•Iron and steel is a basic (key) industry; cotton textile is one of the oldest.
•Location factors: raw material, power, water, labour, transport, market, capital, policy.

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 5-7 marks across book-back MCQ, fill-ups and short answers

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
MCQ / Fill	1	3-5	Classification, scale, location
Short Answer	2-3	1-2	Agro vs mineral, location factors
Application	2	1	Why an industry locates somewhere

Prep strategy

Tabulate industries by raw material and scale
Remember the 1-crore capital cut-off
List the location factors
Tie examples to each category

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Jobs

Industries provide employment and goods for daily life.

Planning

Location factors guide where new factories are built.

Economy

Industrial output is a measure of a country's development.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Classify each example by raw material and scale
Quote the 1-crore capital cut-off
Name iron and steel as the basic industry
List at least three location factors

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Explain why the cotton textile industry concentrated in Mumbai and Tamil Nadu.
Choose the best location for a sugar mill and justify it.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 8 Annual ExamHigh

Foundation / NMMS GeographyMedium

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

Because its product — steel — is the raw material for countless other industries (machines, vehicles, construction), so the whole economy depends on it.

If the raw material is heavy or perishable (like sugarcane or iron ore), it is cheaper and easier to set up the factory close to it rather than transport it far.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

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Social Studies flashcards

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