The Hindu Business Line : Kalam wants small sector to upgrade technology

The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, releasing the INTEC-2005 Fair directory after inaugurating the International Trade Fair in Coimbatore on Wednesday. Others (from left) are the Deputy Consul General of Germany, Mr Stefan Graf, the Chairman of INTEC 2005, Mr R. Palaniswami, and the President of Codissia, Mr J. Balu. — K. Ananthan

Coimbatore , July 6

COIMBATORE, which has highly competitive small-scale units, should take the lead in identifying critical areas that needed governmental and technological inputs, the President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, said here on Wednesday.

He also advised the Coimbatore industries to "design and develop" commercial products for the international markets and be globally competitive.

Speaking at a function after inaugurating the International Industrial Trade Fair-INTEC 2005,organised by the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia), the President said that the SSI sector played a pivotal role in employment generation in the country and these units had a dominant presence in export of sports goods, garments and knitwear etc. The strategy for increasing exports from the SSI sector should be based on technology upgradation. Many government and industrial labs have the technology that should be absorbed. For the government too, revival of the SSI sector remained an important agenda.

Dr Kalam wanted Coimbatore, which has competitiveness in SSI, to "take the lead in identifying critical areas that need governmental, technological inputs" and also technology based on national and international market survey. Emphasis should be on full activation of certain percentage of SSIs that required technological and credit support.

The President said that a new situation has come where MNCs were coming to India due to the availability of high technical manpower and lower cost of production in software or hardware or a combination of both. Indian industries should take this potential as an advantage. He suggested that in Coimbatore entrepreneurs should look at the option of component-level outsourcing to cottage industries and also to homes wherever possible. Coimbatore was doing very well in the healthcare sector, he said.

Dr Kalam wanted the Coimbatore industries to become internationally competitive. They should design and develop products for the world market. Drawing attention to the Indo-Russian collaboration that helped develop a cruise missile system (BRAHMOS), he said that this resulted in the development of a world-class product using the best core competence of both countries.

He wanted the industries in Coimbatore to join together with multi-industries, designers and develop products for global markets. Cost and quality of the products must necessarily be built right at the design stage with value engineering criteria.

Highlighting the importance of the textile industry in the Indian economy, he noted that Coimbatore was known for its textile machinery and textile industries. India was the third largest producer of cotton in the world.

But compared to the world average of 700 kg of seed cotton per acre, in India the production was only 350 kg.

In Punjab, in a village the cultivators were producing the double of the national average of cotton in an area of 1,200 acres because of adoption of better cultivating practices. Industrialists in Coimbatore also could emulate this model and facilitate the (high) yield of cotton in Tamil Nadu.

On requests regarding the development of Coimbatore airport as an international airport, he said, "I believe the more you induct innovation in your industry, the more earning capacity you show as a result," the people would get what they want.

Mr R. Palaniswami, Chairman, INTEC 2005, said that Codissia had built the trade fair complex at a cost of Rs 12 crore without any grant from the Centre or the State.

He sought the help of the President for getting substantial grant to take up the second and third phase of the complex.

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