INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS MUST FOR COMPETITIVE EDGE: EXPERTS

By 1 2 1 News Reporter

Chandigarh,29^th June:-- An important aspect of strategic management, T V Rao, Director Eximus Centre, Export Import Bank of India, (EXIM Bank) Bangalore said, "Clusters are the most efficient means of capacity building leading to cost effectiveness and increase the productivity with which industries can compete, nationally and globally."

T V Rao was addressing the industry captains of the region during a seminar on "MSME Clusters: Development and Financing" organised jointly by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Export Import Bank of India, here at Jalandhar yesterday evening.

Highlighting that Indian clusters face impediments like technological obsolescence, relatively poor product quality, insufficient information, poor market linkages, inadequate management systems, power shortage and a host of other problems besides pressures from the international markets, stressed Dalip Sharma, Regional Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry "Clusters are the only solution to overcome these multifarious problems."

In the Indian scenario where infrastructure and provision of finance is still largely provided and regulated through the government or its institutions, the involvement of such institutions will not only be necessary but also has to be innovative to cater to the specific needs, said Sharma.  

Opinder Singh, Deputy Director, EEPC, said, "In Punjab, specially Ludhiana and Jalandhar are the hubs of industrial activity. The industry should come forward to join hands to form common facilities, and thereby reap the benefits arising out of joint efforts and shared vision of the future."

 Indicating that the main thrust of Export Import Bank is on creation of capacities, Akashdeep Singh, Regional Head, EXIM Bank Chandigarh stressed on the need for enhancing knowledge building. Singh added that EXIM Bank provides solutions for expansion, modernisation, technology upgradation and diversification.

Nullifying the popular notion that setting up of cluster is not possible, Tarun Jain, President, BKTA, shared the success story of the Bahadur ke Textiles and Knitwears Association textile cluster in Ludhiana.

Indicating that the much assumed notion that there has to be geographical proximity is also not an impediment in forming a cluster, Pardeep Singh, Director Technical, J B R Technologies Pvt Ltd, Ludhiana shared the success of having converted STP at Focal point Ludhiana into CETP with Zero Liquid Discharge system for treating the effluents of Electroplating Industries of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mohali, Amritsar and other cities of Punjab.