What was the major feature of the Indian economy at independence?

The colonial British government pursued policies that were in the economic interest of their country. They transformed India into a supplier of raw materials and a consumer of finished products from Britain.
Most of the country’s population lived in villages and derived their livelihood from agriculture. The colonial government introduced various systems of land settlement which lowered agricultural productivity and led to stagnation in the agricultural sector. Lack of irrigation facilities and the negligible use of fertilizers aggravated the plight of the farmer.
The decline of the indigenous handicraft industries led to massive unemployment. The cotton and silk industries were the worst hit. Soon, the iron, shipping, glass, metal, paper, pottery, gun, tanning, and dyeing industries collapsed too. For centuries, India had been the largest exporter of cotton goods in the world. Under British rule, it became an exporter of raw cotton and an importer of finished cotton products made in Britain.
Britain maintained a monopoly over India’s exports and imports. They imposed high import duties and other restrictions on the import of Indian goods into Britain and the rest of Europe. Due to these policies, European markets virtually closed their doors to Indian manufacturers after 1820.
The introduction of the railways in 1850 broke geographical barriers. However, the colonial government’s railway policy discriminated against Indian enterprise. The railway freight rates favored the distribution of foreign goods over Indian goods.

After nearly 200 years of British influence and rulership, India gained its independence in 1947. The “Mountbatten Plan” (named for the British Viceroy who signed it) divided India into two separate countries: Pakistan and the Union of India. As an underdeveloped country at the time, they were facing a number of economic challenges.
Although the British ruled India, they did so from a distance, never establishing colonies or investing in local industries. This “laissez faire” approach (the idea that an economy does best when the government stays out of it) rendered India’s economy stagnant. The population grew far faster than the economy did, leading to widespread unemployment and poverty.
This created classism and a sort of feudal economy, in which farmers and craftsmen (the only major industries at the time) had to work as bonded laborers under the control of a few wealthy citizens.
India has made great strides in their economic growth since they became independent. Over just the past few decades, India has become one of the fastest developing economies in the world.
http://www.preservearticles.com/economics/15-essential-features-of-indian-economy-on-the-eve-of-independence/7445

https://www.ibef.org/economy/indian-economy-overview