Q.How many industries were reserved exclusively for the public sector in the Industrial Policy of 1956, and what happened to this list after 1991?

The 1956 Industrial Policy reserved 17 industries exclusively for the public sector; after 1991 this list was drastically cut, opening most sectors to private investment. …

Under the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956, India adopted a strategy of state-led industrialisation in which 17 industries — largely core, capital-intensive and strategic sectors such as defence production, heavy machinery, iron and steel, mining, and atomic energy — were reserved exclusively for the public sector. Private firms were barred from entering these industries at all, reflecting the pre-1991 belief that the state should directly control the economy's commanding heights. …

Guessing an approximate or wrong number for the 1956 reserved-industry list — the exact figure (17) is a …