Bhilai, city in east central India, in Chhattisgarh state. The city's main industry is a giant, government-owned steel plant that was built in collaboration with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and that started production in 1959. Nearby mines, connected to the steel plant by specially built rail lines, supply it with iron ore, dolomite, and manganese. In addition to steel, the plant manufactures railway sleepers, rails, construction materials, and other steel products. Other factories in Bhilai produce chemicals, acids, and gases. The city is located on a rail line connecting Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and Mumbai (formerly Bombay), and on a major highway connecting Kolkata with Dhule, Mumbai, and Agra. Formerly a small town, Bhilai grew rapidly in the decades following the construction of the steel plant. Population (1991) 290,090.
