Punjab handtool industry wants R&D centre

Handtool manufacturers of Punjab have asked for a training institute and research & development (R&D) centre for augmenting the export from the industry, which is fastly losing its turf to international players like China.

While pointing out the major hindrances in the export of hand tools from the state, Sharad Aggarwal, chairman of Engineering Export Promotion council (Hand tool panel), said: "The state-of-art institute will help in minimising the technological gaps existing in the industry, which in turn will augment the export prospects of the industry".

"Suggested institute should comprise advance machinery vis-a-vis CNC machines and other needed instruments for imparting a practical training for manufacturing a high-quality based or pro export hand tools," Aggarwal said.

Referring to the lack of research & development (R&D) facility, Aggarwal said in Taiwan, with the government initiatives, an alliance of metal industry research & development centre was established and top hand tool companies of Taiwan like Cendai and Kuang Yuang, apart from other professional companies became members of the alliance for research, to help manufacture high torque sockets, high strength pliers and thin walked sockets.

Extensive research was done for use of digital technology in hand tools and Taiwan's hand tool manufacturers' associations under the umbrella of Mechanical Industry Research Laboratory had done a remarkable job to increase the use of digital scissor, digital wrenches and digital pullers in the manufacturing units.

About the Jalandhar's Hand tool's industry, Aggarwal said, "Initially the export of hand tools was only to West Asia, but now we are catering to sophisticated international markets of the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, France, Spain, Belgium and Australia as well." He said even the big international buying houses Jalandhar made hand tools were being used.

There has been a significant change in the industry as earlier it catered mainly to the lower end of the market segment called "Do It Yourself" (DIY). But now, Indian hand tools have gradually got recognition across the globe and have started catering to the professional segment. Even manufacturers of Europe and the US have started outsourcing manufacturing of professional equipments to India.

The industry has upgraded its technology and implemented computer numeric control machines in their tool room to give accuracy, says Aggarwal, adding that the press forging techniques instead of drop forging hammers are used in the firms of Jalandhar.

He said for technological excellence, eleven units of hand tools of Jalandhar entered into a programme with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and after getting positive response, the programme was further extended for two more years and the inventory turnover ratio (ITR) of the eleven units increased from five and half to nine per cent.

He said manufacturers had submitted a proposal under the scheme along with the expected recurring expenditure of the institute. Also, 10-15 per cent of total cost would also be borne by the industry itself and remaining will be the contribution of the central government.

Aggarwal further said the setting up of the institute would help the hand tool industry to attain the targeted export of Rs 3,000 crore in the coming 3-4 years against the present Rs 900 crore.