| Clusterkraft e-Newsletter (Vol. 7)
National
International
Events
Articles
National Cluster approach to promote Coconut as Health Drink: Goa Among the branded foreign mad drinks that are easily available in the market the consumer seems to be at a loss as he cannot possibly experience the taste of a better and more environmental friendly drink that can be very well provide by the coconut clusters if established in the geographically blessed clusters. Maharashtra to add one lac jobs in its manufacturing Clusters Government asks public sector banks to double the Rs 67,600-crore banking credit in the next five years and provide one-time settlement plan for sick SMEs. Apart from providing fiscal incentives in the form of exemption in various duties and taxes for existing and upcoming units, the government plans to set up product specific special economic zones (SEZ), and to develop the Mumbai-Pune-Nashik cluster, Aurangabad as an auto cluster as well as textile hubs at Bhiwandi, Kolhapur and Nagpur. Mega investment for SME Clusters is in the pipeline. After a slew of huge investment promises made by global and domestic giants, the Central Government is now becoming equally enthusiastic about putting the economy on a high trajectory of growth through several development packages. The Small Industries Development Bank of India – along with the Indian Banks’ Association – would gather and put common data on risks in each identified cluster. They would also develop an IT-enabled application, appraisal and monitoring system for SMEs to enable the banks to reduce transaction costs and improve credit flow. President gives awards to the weavers of artisanal Clusters. According to the president Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam, there are five steps that are needed to be taken on the part of the governmental as well as the non-governmental organizations to empower the various artisanal and industrial clusters to develop in the long run and this is possible on a five-year plan-basis. WTO-compliant scheme to replace DEPB for exporters in the Indian Cluster Sector. India plans to introduce a new World Trade Organization (WTO) compliant scheme to replace the duty entitlement passbook (DEPB) scheme for exporters by April 2006.The government had extended the DEPB scheme till March 2006 after which it would be replaced by the new scheme which will plug loopholes and will be useful to the exports in the WTO regime. KSIDC completes 78 projects in the SME sector. Kerala is becoming an industrially competitive State and the investment climate has been most favourable to investors, according to the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC). Since the inception of the UDF Ministry in 2001, the KSIDC has completed 78 projects with an investment of Rs.339 crores that provide employment to more than 4,760 people. NIFT to impart training to weavers of SME Clusters. Part of Cluster Development Initiative, this scheme intends to raise a number of micro-enterprises in rural India by utilizing talent of rural artisans. The design centres of the nation must come forward to enable these artisanal clusters to innovate new designs and patterns so that they can play well in the international market. PM orders more assistance to SME Clusters. The Prime Minister has ordered ministries, branches and localities to work harder in creating a favourable and supportive business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are playing a significant role in the national economy’s development. India can gain from intellectual property rights in its SME Clusters. India can benefit from the trade-related intellectual property rights (IPR) from the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO).This was inferred out of this WTO event. Two major areas come under this like geographical indication that protects trade names on farm products exclusive produced in India like basmati rice, Darjeeling tea and Alphonso mangoes, and biological diversity to be intensified. Cabinet and KSIDC to attract investments for SME Clusters in Kerala. The centre along with KSIDC is planning to take measures to streamline investments in the SME Clusters. With huge investments coming in tourism, petrochemicals, information technology and healthcare, it's a boom time for Kerala. All these projects are scheduled to be completed by 2009-10. The projects took off under the initiative of KSIDC. The industrial projects have already received all necessary clearances from the federal government and work on most of them would be launched within a couple of months. CII-AIEMA 18-month long Cluster initiative ends. CII and AIEMA has proved that small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which focused on energy and cost management, can compete on a global scale by the cluster development approach. The 18-month learning process for ten companies in Ambattur, grouped under the cluster initiative, aimed at enhancing their internal competitiveness and ensuring sustainable advantage. International BIMP-EAGA would concentrate on four Priority Development Clusters in South East Asia. In its roadmap, the BIMP-EAGA's goal over the next five years is to narrow the development gap within the EAGA member countries as well as across the Asean countries. Within the 2006-2010 periods, BIMP-EAGA stakeholders hoped to achieve a 10 percent increase in intra-trade and investments among the EAGA focus areas and a 20 percent increase in tourist movement within the sub-region as well as the commendable growth of its different industrial clusters. Soccsksargen wants stronger regional export sector for its industrial Clusters. DTI is looking forward to set up a stronger export position on Soccsksargen's flagship industrial clusters namely tuna, aquaculture, palm oil, fruit and the information and communication technology or ICT.A more concentrated development strategy is in the pipeline for these clusters that are emerging as the region's future in terms of exports and market evaluation. Preparation is vital for SME Clusters in Guyana. Entrepreneurs must possess a kind of empowerment that would make them able to plan and manage their businesses in relation to the state-of-the-art technology and to be able to assess the business environment in which they operate. It is significant to understand the very environment they need to play in. Therefore, these businesspersons must be able to make a sector wise selection of clusters that are going to be winners down the road and to examine the areas that are receiving government priority. Mining Operators to improve practices in SME Clusters in Kingston. According to JAMPRO, the mining and quarrying sector continued to grow in Kingston, so emphasis must also be placed on improving business and operating practices. Operators must focus on improvement of overall management of their quarries as well as the impact of their operations on the environment. Events Results of Indo-EU seminar on Protection and Promotion of Geographical Indications. The Department of industrial policy and promotion, under the Ministry of commerce, and the European Union Symposium in New Delhi during the third week of November on the protection and promotion of Geographical Indications Symposium beautifully highlighted the richness of India's cultural heritage. It fore grounded sincere attempts by various quarters to protect and preserve the same through the geographical regime. The presentations, by producers of Chanderi Sarees, Mysore silks, Darjeeling tea and Karnataka handicrafts and their respective experiences, incurred in the process of registering and protecting various Indian Geographical Indications. Articles Launch of Annual Competitiveness Report and Competitiveness Challenge focus on SME sector. The Annual Competitiveness Report (ACR) benchmarks Ireland’s competitiveness performance against 15 other countries. Drawing from this analysis, the Competitiveness Challenge report makes recommendations on Government actions that will help improve the competitive performance of Irish-based firms. This report acknowledges Ireland’s ongoing economic success – a success that other countries are trying to emulate – but it also highlights the significant challenges ahead because of the changing Irish and global business environments. Support for women entrepreneurs in Ethiopian SME Clusters.
Authored by Stevenson, L. and St-Onge, A and produced by International
Labour Organization (ILO) (2005) Did you know? Orissa The State of Orissa is rich in natural resources - minerals, marine, forest and agricultural land, with 480 Kms. long coastlines along the Bay of Bengal. The state has a substantial base, comprising of a number of large, medium and small-scale enterprises in Textiles, Handicraft and a host of other sectors. Its lush green countryside and fertile plains, tiny hamlets fringed with palm, coconut trees and mango groves offer the charm of rural beauty while the urban pockets, the four cities in particular, with the splendor of modern technology provide the amenities necessary for a comfortable stay. Orissa is the land of unique handicrafts and other excellent artifacts. The state is well connected by all modern means of transport surface, air and water. It has rail and road network providing linkage to the various strategic points with more than 22364 Kms of rail route and 55000 Kms of roadways. The Pie Diagram shown above represents the major Artisanal Clusters in Orissa. It not only shows the number of artisanal clusters in relation to a particular craft but also shows the variety in these Clusters and possibly most of the major crafts covered in one single state. Metalwork is the major craft that is practised all over the state and dominates for 21 % of the total craft clusters. Orissa is also known for her exquisite handicrafts. Brass and bell metal ware, particularly vases and candle stands, are beautiful and long lasting. The black stone bowls and plates of Nilagiri and Khiching and multi-colored stone statues are other attractions. Metal craft is perhaps the single most important craft in terms of the number of artisans engaged in its practice as in its close links with the daily lives of the people of the State. Orissa is a thickly tribal inhabited state, consisting of sixty-two tribes who make their own traditional ethnic cottage and live in it. The difference in these tribes and their life is clearly discernible from their material culture, art objects from the paintings and drawing. Textile Clusters, in Orissa exist as a part of the dominant artisanal cluster here and surmount for about 18% of the artisanal clusters here, very next after Metal ware. Silk and cotton handloom products, especially saris are simply bewitching. The Sambalpuri saris and Maniabandhi patas are matchless in their texture and designs. Cane and Bamboo Clusters constitute for around 17% of the total artisanal clusters in the state. Woodcarving is popular in the state of Orissa that has around 12% of the total clusters, practicing woodwork. It has exquisite woodcarvings depicting gods and goddesses and mythological figures are a common place amongst the carved wood products that the state is famous for. Painting Clusters, here are as old as Orissa's sculpture and till today form for around 7% of the total Artisanal Clusters in the state. Although professionally, there was originally no distinction between painting and sculpture. The Chitrakars or artists were commissioned by their patrons in all visual arts of their times. The colors of all Orissan Paintings are vivid and contrasting, with red, ochre, indigo, green, black and white being used traditionally. Each outline is clearly and strongly defined. The paintings concentrate on sculpture like figures of simple shapes and monotonous postures and expression. There is no perspective or background detail, the background is generally either just painted in a contrasting color or filled in with flowers and tendrils. Paintings are done in the form of Patachitras wherein in the absence of paper, the painting is done on a piece of cloth that can also be easily later transported. Other forms being that of Talapatrachitras and Etching. 6% of the total clusters are those of Stoneware Clusters, which is also a very major craft in the state. As evident from the innumerable archaeological monuments, rock-cut sculptures, caves and temples built for centuries and embellished with most beautiful and intricately carved statue and other adornments, the art of carving in stone had reached in Orissa dizzy heights of excellence perfected through centuries of disciplined efforts of generations of artisans. Horn and Bone Clusters of Orissa are available in widest spectrum of items like combs, pen stands, and cigar pipes, decorative. Other sectors that of leather, toys and dolls, shell and accessories Clusters are less in proportion to the others but have an underlined significant to the state that constitutes one of the largest number of the artisanal clusters.
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