COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore Industrial Infrastructure Association (COINDIA) has been identified for the integrated cluster development programme to explore the possibilities of synergising the efforts of agencies such as UNIDO in clusters.

Association president G. Rajendran has said in a release that the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation would provide soft services and expedite sharing of knowledge from advanced countries. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion would fund the activity. The Quality Council of India and the National Productivity Council would give field-level consultancy. The association would facilitate the programme.

In this integrated cluster development programme, the focus would be on lean manufacturing techniques, skill upgradation, certification of units and improvement in productivity.

The COINDIA has completed implementation of the Rs. 60-crore Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Programme for pumps, motors and foundries here.

The cluster project was founded by the Government of India (Rs. 39 crore), Government of Tamil Nadu (Rs. 1.21 crore and 50 cents land) and the members of the association. The project brought in infrastructure, technology and training facilities for the small and medium-scale units in the identified sectors.

Product die and mould centre, raw material bank, modern tool room, business information centre, industrial school and training centre, engineering software training facility and product testing facility were some of the benefits of the project to the engineering, pumpset and foundry units here.

Since 2002-03, pumpset exports from here increased from Rs. 33 crore to Rs. 190 crore in 2008-09. Similarly, export of valves and machined castings had gone up from Rs. 100 crore to Rs. 480 crore. The turnover of the foundries and pumpset units had gone up by more than 100 per cent.

Mr. Rajendran said each facility was commissioned as a standalone utility centre.

More than 1,250 micro and mall units were involved and benefitted from the project, according to Mr. Rajendran.

Courtesy - Hindu