British economic strategies in India played a pivotal role in the deindustrialization process by prioritizing the export of raw materials and hindering local manufacturing through the implementation of tariffs and infrastructure projects that were geared towards extraction rather than industrial expansion. Consequently, this resulted in the decline of India’s once-thriving textile and handicraft sectors, displacing skilled craftsmen and fostering a reliance on Britain for economic sustenance. The long-lasting effects of these policies included a diminished industrial foundation in India following independence, which impeded efforts towards economic diversification and technological advancement.

Socially, the policies disrupted traditional means of livelihood and exacerbated poverty, setting the stage for future economic hardships. Ultimately, British policies solidified India’s role as a supplier of raw materials and a consumer of British products, shaping its economic landscape for years to come and leaving behind a legacy of industrial stagnation and reliance.