The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), headed by R K Pachauri (chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was a joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007), has started business development services (BDS) for the Rajkot engineering cluster with the support of the SIDBI-MSME Financing and Development Project (MSMEFDP).
The 32 month-long BDS programme will be conducted in association with the Rajkot Engineering Association (REA).
It will help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to upgrade technology as well help marketing and skill development. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will provide finance for the programme, according to an official of the bank.
According to an official of TERI, “Rajkot mostly has family-owned businesses and they have little opportunity for business development or R&D. The Rajkot engineering cluster has the best skills but due to improper marketing they are missing out on opportunities. Business development services can help the MSMEs in the city produce more and give their best.”
TERI’s prime focus under the BDS will be to develop marketing skills and help take up technology upgradation and energy-saving projects. This project has three phases. The first phase features a cluster diagnostic study and development of an action plan, the second phase involves project implementation and the third phase covers project learning and planning an exit strategy.
“Rajkot is a good cluster for MSMEs and the government of India decided to identify what more it can do here and focus on it. If any MSME wants to undertake new development, SIDBI will help them. We are ready to provide finance to them. SIDBI will give loans for energy-saving machinery,” said Rishiji Dwivedi of SIDBI.
“To create awareness about the BDS, we will organise seminars, workshops and training programmes. TERI will also train new BDS providers and consultants,” said Bharat Davda, TERI’s Cluster Manager at Rajkot.
The Rajkot engineering cluster has more than 500 foundries, which employ about 20,000 people. The foundry industry’s turnover is more than Rs 3,000 crore per year, including exports of Rs 350 crore.
A new area that can be developed is the pump industry. Rajkot has 161 pump manufacturing units, employing a total of 4,700 workers. The pump industry’s turnover is about Rs 355 crore per year, including exports of Rs 55 crore.
