# The Pyramid of Industries

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/

The Pyramid of Industries stacks 36 industries by what they depend on. At the base sit the material world and the energy system; each stratum draws on those below it. Every industry has its value chain, the share of each ₹100 of output spent on commodities, chemicals and energy, its price links with suppliers, and its chokepoints.

[Read the guide to the pyramid](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/guide/)

## Stratum 7: Apex

- [Public administration, defence and security](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/public_admin/): Governments raising taxes to fund law, defence, regulation and public services

## Stratum 6: Integrated services

- [Healthcare services](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/healthcare/): Hospitals, clinics, laboratories and pharmacies that diagnose, treat and care for patients
- [E-commerce and digital marketplaces](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/ecommerce/): Online marketplaces and apps linking sellers, payments, warehouses and delivery fleets
- [Hospitality and tourism](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/hospitality_tourism/): Hotels, restaurants, airlines, attractions and booking sites serving travellers
- [AI and digital platforms](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/ai_platforms/): Model builders and apps selling AI as assistants, APIs and copilots, not hardware
- [Professional services](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/professional_services/): Audit, tax, legal, consulting and engineering design firms selling expert judgement

## Stratum 5: Information and capital

- [Education and research](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/education_research/): Schools, universities, training providers and public or corporate labs building skills
- [Finance: banking, insurance, markets](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/finance/): Banks, insurers, markets and payment rails that lend, insure and invest money
- [Media and entertainment](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/media_entertainment/): Film, television, music, news, games and live events funded by viewers and ads
- [Software and IT services](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/software_it/): Operating systems, business applications and outsourced IT services, a core Indian export

## Stratum 4: Networks and systems

- [Wholesale and retail trade](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/wholesale_retail/): Distributors, warehouses and stores moving finished goods from factories to households
- [Transport and logistics](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/transport_logistics/): Shipping, road, rail and air freight, warehousing and passenger transport operators
- [Data centres and cloud](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/data_centres/): Server halls and cloud providers renting compute, storage and networks; heavy power users
- [Telecommunications](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/telecom/): Mobile, fibre, subsea cable and satellite operators carrying voice and data
- [Aerospace and defence](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/aerospace_defence/): Civil aircraft, military platforms, weapons, satellites and launch vehicle makers
- [Medical devices](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/medical_devices/): Syringes, implants, scanners, monitors and diagnostic tests for hospitals and clinics

## Stratum 3: Complex manufacturing and the built world

- [Real estate](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/real_estate/): Developers, landlords and managers of homes, offices, warehouses and shops
- [Construction and infrastructure](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/construction/): Contractors building roads, rail, ports, power and water networks and buildings
- [Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/vehicles/): Cars, two-wheelers, trucks, ships, rail and aircraft makers and suppliers
- [Computers and electronics](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/computers_electronics/): Assemblers turning chips and displays into phones, PCs, servers and consumer devices
- [Semiconductors](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/semiconductors/): Chip designers and fabs making logic, memory, analogue and power chips from silicon

## Stratum 2: Assembled goods

- [Furniture](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/furniture/): Makers and sellers of home, office and outdoor furniture, mattresses and kitchens
- [Food and beverage processing](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/food_beverage/): Processors turning crops, milk, meat and fish into packaged, branded food and drink
- [Pharmaceuticals](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/pharmaceuticals/): Drug discovery, manufacturing and distribution, from small-molecule generics to biologics
- [Machinery and equipment](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/machinery/): Machine tools, construction and mining equipment, tractors, pumps and process plant
- [Household and personal care](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/household_care/): Detergents, soaps, shampoos, skin and oral care, tissue and nappies for consumers
- [Apparel and footwear](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/apparel/): Brands and garment makers selling finished clothing, shoes and accessories to shoppers

## Stratum 1: First transformations

- [Water and sanitation](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/water_sanitation/): Utilities and treatment firms supplying clean water and handling wastewater and sludge
- [Metal products](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/metal_products/): Fabricators making castings, forgings, tubes, fasteners and cans from steel and metals
- [Building materials](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/building_materials/): Cement, concrete, bricks, tiles, glass and gypsum board made from quarried minerals
- [Plastic and rubber products](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/plastic_rubber/): Converters moulding resins and rubber into packaging, pipes, films, tyres and seals
- [Wood products](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/wood_products/): Sawmills and panel makers producing plywood, MDF, engineered timber and wood pellets
- [Waste and recycling](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/waste_recycling/): Collecting, sorting and treating waste, returning metals, paper and plastics to use
- [Textiles and leather](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/textiles/): Spinning, weaving and processing fibres into yarn and fabric, and hides into leather
- [Paper and packaging](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/paper_packaging/): Pulp and paper mills and converters making boxes, cartons, sacks and tissue
- [Electrical equipment](https://www.materialinsights.org/industries/electrical_equipment/): Makers of motors, transformers, switchgear, cables and inverters for power systems