The location of iron and steel industry at a place is due to

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks about the main factor that determines where an iron and steel industry is located. This is a topic on location of industry in Economics.

Step 2: Explain the concept Industries locate according to the nature of their inputs and products:

• Weight-losing (bulky raw material) industries use raw materials that lose much of their weight during processing. Examples are iron and steel, cement, and sugar. It is cheaper to set up the factory near the raw materials, because transporting the heavy, bulky inputs over long distances is very costly.
• Footloose industries (such as light assembly or electronics) are not tied to raw materials and can be located where labour, markets, or infrastructure are favourable.

Step 3: Apply to iron and steel Iron and steel production needs huge quantities of iron ore, coal or coke, and limestone. These are:

• Very bulky and heavy
• Expensive to transport
• Reduced greatly in weight after smelting

So the least-cost location is close to the raw materials. This is why classical examples such as Ajaokuta (Nigeria, near iron ore and coal deposits) and the steel towns of Britain and the USA grew near ore and coal fields.

Step 4: Check the other options

• B. Cheap labour: Important for labour-intensive industries like textiles, but steel is capital-intensive.
• C. Government policy: It can influence location (for example, siting for balanced development), but it is not the main economic reason for iron and steel.
• D. Good infrastructure: Helpful, but it is secondary to the weight and bulk of the raw materials.

Step 5: Answer The correct option is **A.

Exam tip: Remember "heavy raw materials, then near the source". If an industry's raw materials are bulky or lose weight in processing (iron and steel, cement, cocoa processing), choose "closeness to raw materials". If the product is light or perishable, think of the market instead.