ब्रिटीशांनी भारताच्या औद्योगिक विकासात अडथळे का आणले ?

The correct answer is Option A (British Government wanted to protect its own interests).

Key Points:
• Colonial Economic Motives and Industrial Obstruction:
• British imperial policy deliberately treated India as a classic colonial dependency—an exporter of cheap primary raw materials (cotton, jute, minerals) and an exclusive captive market for British manufactured goods.
• If modern industries developed in India, Indian indigenous factories would compete directly with British manufacturers in Lancashire, Manchester, and Birmingham.
• To safeguard British capitalist interests, the colonial government imposed discriminatory tariffs, countervailing excise duties on Indian textiles (1896), biased railway freight rates, and denied state subsidies and technological access to Indian entrepreneurs.
• The colonial objective was strictly profit extraction and protecting British domestic industries.
• Key Takeaway: The British obstructed India's industrialization to protect their own manufacturers and retain India as a captive market.