The first major boost to modern industry in India happened in the 1860s. It was a direct result of

The first major boost to modern Indian industry in the 1860s was a direct consequence of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Before the war, British textile mills in Lancashire and Manchester were heavily dependent on raw cotton from the American South [2]. The outbreak of the war disrupted these supplies, causing a 'Cotton Famine' in Britain as imports fell to less than three percent of normal levels [4]. This created an urgent demand in Europe for alternative sources, leading to a massive boom in Indian cotton exports and prices [1]. While the initial boom focused on raw cotton exports, the resulting capital accumulation and the realization of India's potential as a manufacturing hub led to the expansion of modern textile mills in Bombay and Ahmedabad [1]. This period marked a critical turning point for Indian industrial entrepreneurship [3].

Sources

1. [2] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE > 3.4 Then came the cotton boom > p. 250
2. [4] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 11: Industries > COTTON TEXTILE INDUSTRY > p. 8
3. [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > 5.6 Industrial Development in India > p. 68
4. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire_Cotton_Famine