- Tourism in India has grown rapidly due to government support and better infrastructure.
- Schemes such as Swadesh Darshan 2.0, PRASHAD, and the Vibrant Village Programme promote tourism.
- Tourism helps in national integration and supports local culture and handicrafts.
- Foreign tourists visit India for heritage, eco, adventure, medical, and business tourism.
- India has great potential for tourism development across all regions.
Definitions [2]
Define International Trade.
The exchange of goods, services, and capital between countries and regions is referred to as International trade.
Definition: Trade
The exchange of goods among people, states and countries is referred to as trade.
Key Points
Key Points: Types of Transport > Airways
- Air transport is the fastest and most comfortable mode of transport.
- It helps in crossing difficult terrains like mountains, deserts, forests, and oceans.
- Air transport is especially important for remote and border areas, such as the North-East and hilly regions.
- Pawan Hans Helicopters provide services to ONGC and in inaccessible regions of India.
- UDAN scheme aims to make air travel affordable and improve regional connectivity.
Key Points: Types of Transport > Waterways
- Waterways are the cheapest, fuel-efficient, and eco-friendly mode of transport, suitable for heavy and bulky goods.
- India has about 14,500 km of inland waterways, and 111 waterways were declared National Waterways in 2016.
- Important National Waterways include NW-1 (Ganga), NW-2 (Brahmaputra), NW-3 (Kerala canals), NW-4, and NW-5.
- Other important inland waterways are in the Sundarbans, the Barak River, the Goa rivers, and the Kerala backwaters.
- About 95% of India’s foreign trade (by volume) is carried through sea routes.
- India has a long coastline of 7,516.6 km with 12 major ports and many minor ports.
- Major ports include Deendayal (Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradwip, Cochin, and Kolkata–Haldia.
Key Points: Communication
- Communication helps people share information without physical movement and has developed rapidly in modern times.
- India has the largest postal network in the world, handling first-class and second-class mail.
- Digital India Programme aims to make India a knowledge-based and technology-driven country.
- India has a large telecom network, with STD facilities in most villages and uniform call rates.
- Mass communication through radio, television, newspapers, and films spreads awareness and entertainment nationwide.
Key Points: International Trade
- Trade is the exchange of goods between people, states, or countries, and trade between countries is called international trade.
- International trade takes place through land, sea, and air routes and shows a country’s economic prosperity.
- Exports and imports are the two components of trade, and their difference is called the balance of trade.
- When exports exceed imports, it is a favourable balance of trade; the opposite is an unfavourable balance of trade.
- India exports gems, jewellery, chemicals, agricultural products, and IT services, and imports petroleum, machinery, electronics, and metals.
Key Points: Types of Transport > Roadways
- India has the second-largest road network in the world, about 62.16 lakh km (2020–21).
- Roadways developed before railways in India and are easier to construct.
- Roads are important for door-to-door transport and short-distance travel.
- Roads are classified as metalled and unmetalled based on construction material.
- Metalled roads are all-weather roads, while unmetalled roads become unusable during the rainy season.
Transport, Communication and Trade
- Goods and services must be transported from places of production to places of demand.
- Transport is essential for development, as it helps the movement of goods, services, and people.
- Transport is classified into land, water, and air transport.
- Transport, communication, and trade are closely linked and support each other.
- A dense and efficient transport and communication network is necessary for local, national, and global trade.
Key Points: Types of Transport > Railways
- Railways are the main mode of transport for passengers and freight in India.
- Indian Railways have been a major integrating force for over 150 years.
- The first train ran in 1853 from Mumbai to Thane, covering 34 km.
- Indian Railways is the largest public sector undertaking and is divided into 17 zones.
- The railway network is most developed in the Northern Plains due to flat land and dense population.
- Hilly, desert, swampy, and forested regions have fewer railway lines due to difficult terrain.
- India has multiple gauges, with Broad Gauge covering the maximum route length (67,956 km total).
Key Points: Pipelines
- Pipeline transport is used to carry crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas.
- Pipelines allow refineries and fertilizer plants to be located far inland.
- Though the initial cost is high, pipeline transport has low running costs and no delays.
- Major pipeline routes include Assam to Kanpur and Salaya (Gujarat) to Jalandhar (Punjab).
- The HVJ gas pipeline first ran 1,700 km, and India’s pipeline network has expanded to 18,500 km.
Key Points: Tourism as a Trade
