India was a global leader in metallurgy for millennia, exporting high-quality steel and pioneering zinc extraction.

Key Achievements

• Wootz Steel: A crucible steel characterized by a pattern of bands. Known as "Damascus Steel" worldwide.
• The Iron Pillar of Delhi: A 7-meter high column from the Gupta period (c. 400 CE) that has resisted rust for over 1,600 years.
• Zinc Smelting: India was the first to master zinc distillation (Zawar mines, Rajasthan) around the 12th century, centuries before Europe.

Timeline

• c. 1200 BCE: Iron Age begins in India.
• c. 300 BCE: Production of Wootz steel begins in South India.
• c. 400 CE: Erection of the Iron Pillar.
• c. 13th Century: Large-scale zinc production at Zawar.