ICAR-SBI, Coimbatore, has positioned its liquid jaggery as a healthy alternative to sugar.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In the last episode, my colleague and host of Climate Economy, Kunal Shankar, spoke about the shifts underway in India’s transport sector, as it attempts to decarbonise. One among the many places where this transition is likely to be felt most is Coimbatore. That’s because this district is home to many of the smaller firms that form part of the automobile sector’s value chain catering to Internal combustion engine vehicles.

Coimbatore is one among the leading supply chain clusters in the country for the auto sector. Its journey as a component manufacturer for automobiles started almost six decades ago led by the foundries that made castings, factories that manufactured motors, and the demand from automobile majors in Tamil Nadu. 

In a district where streets of one or two room workshops, called micro or cottage industries, contribute to the economy, are there job losses, job shifts, or new jobs as the industries prepare for the transitions in the mobility sector? Is there adequate funding available for the MSMEs? Are these units plugged into the latest developments in technology? Let us drive into the auto clusters to understand better what’s happening on the ground.

Script & Presentation : Soundariya Preetha

Video & Editing: Shibu Narayan

A doctor has been arrested in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore for allegedly placing a pen camera inside a washroom used by male and female doctors. Sources said one of the women doctors found it in the washroom and after she raised alarm, it was confirmed by the police. 

The police have recovered the hidden camera and its memory card and arrested Dr Venkatesh, sources said.

Sources said Dr Venkatesh is 33 years old and is pursuing his Post-Graduate studies from the Coimbatore Medical College. 

He has been charged under provisions of the IT Act and Bharat Nyay Sanhita. 
 

Chennai:

In a heartwarming decision, the Madras High Court has allowed a veterinarian to reunite with a partially paralysed baby monkey he treated for 10 months in Coimbatore.

The animal, a survivor of multiple dog bites in Coimbatore, was recently transferred to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai by forest authorities, without considering its welfare, the petitioner said in a plea.

The veterinarian Dr Vallaiappan, while seeking custody of the monkey, argued that it requires ongoing care as it hasn’t fully recovered or become independent. The court has permitted him to visit the monkey on Saturday and file a report so the court can decide on the plea.

The veterinarian took care of the animal from December last year to October this year, till authorities shifted the monkey a fortnight ago. The court has observed that the bonding between a human and an animal ought to be handled sensitively. 

Kishore Jayaraman, president of Rolls-Royce, India and South Asia, spoke at a session on “Smart Manufacturing” organised by TexasVentures and CODISSIA in Coimbatore city on Friday June 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PERIASAMY M

Creation of jobs is key for advancement of the country, said Kishore Jayaraman, president of Rolls-Royce, India and South Asia, in Coimbatore city on Friday.

Speaking at the Global Manufacturing Cluster Vision 2030 conference on Smart Manufacturing, organised by Texas Ventures and CODISSIA as a part of the Intec 2024 industrial fair, Mr. Jayaraman said India has the brainpower and skills. Jobs should be created for these skilled people. The Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) need to scale up and generate jobs. Industries scaling up capacities is vital for India and job creation is key to advancement. The MSMEs are significant players to generate jobs.

Most of the western world wants to come to India to set up manufacturing capacities because of the skill capability available in the country. Significant number of jobs will be generated when a number of factories grow at the same time, he added.

Mr. Jayaraman pointed out that Coimbatore has some of the well-known large-scale companies that are present here for decades, over two lakh MSMEs, more than 75 engineering colleges, and ₹1.25 lakh crores worth manufacturing annually with ₹45,000 crores worth exports. It has engineering capability, skills, and the ability to scale up. But, it should also be able to talk loudly about its successes, he added.

K. Balasubramanian, chairman of Precision Group of Companies, spoke about the need for inventory management in companies. Sathiya Seelan, vice president – design styling of Ashok Leyland, highlighted the need for particularizing for a stable economy.

Subathra Mylsamy, partner of AK Mylsamy & Associates, and M. Thirumalai Kumar, head of Research Group, Autonomous Systems & Control – India, were the other speakers.

Construction workers are hard at work under the scorching sun. File
| Photo Credit: Karthikeyan G

The Tamil Nadu government should make insurance cover for construction workers mandatory in building plan approval applications, the Tamil Nadu AITUC Construction Workers Union has said.

General secretary of the Union N. Selvaraj told The Hindu on Friday that three construction workers died in accidents at construction sites in and around Coimbatore in the last 10 days. Even if a worker is not registered with the construction workers welfare board, his family will get ₹5 lakh compensation if he dies at the work site. Further, compensation should be paid to the worker’s family – depending on his age – by the property owner under the Workman Compensation Act.

However, most of the owners do not pay this amount. It takes a long time to settle the issue legally too and the family of the worker does not benefit.

Hence, the State government should make it mandatory for those who submit applications for building plan approval to get insurance cover for the workers. Only two public sector insurance companies have such policies. The applicant can take insurance cover for 10 workers or so – depending on the size of the building under construction, pay premium for one year and submit the details when the application is submitted for plan approval. This will benefit the workers, he said.

Wet grinder manufacturing at a unit in Coimbatore. File
| Photo Credit: M. Periasamy

Festival season, when sale of kitchen equipment peak, does not offer hope for wet grinder manufacturers in Coimbatore.

Manufacturers of the grinders, a product that has Geographical Indication tag, are moving to other businesses as demand has slumped.

R. Soundarakumar, president of the Coimbatore Wet Grinders and Accessories Manufacturers’ Association, told The Hindu on Tuesday, September 26 that the demand used to peak from Dasara and go on till Pongal. The manufacturers in Coimbatore were selling more than one lakh grinders a month. “Now we sell just about 50,000 grinders a month and on an average the total sales is just 30% of what it used to be,” he said.

Of the nearly 200 end product manufacturers, only 80 – 100 manufacturers are continuing business. “The decline started more than six years ago when the government distributed grinders free of cost. We thought business will revive. But, one development after another – GST, COVID-19, etc – has led to complete fall of business,” he said.

‘Consumers now buy idli/dosa batter from shops’

There is no demand for wet grinders because of change in food habits and life style. Most of the consumers buy idli/dosa batter and do not grind batter at home. The demand has fallen across geographies.

The dealers ask for new models regularly. But, the manufacturers require nearly ₹13 lakh to make a die. With fall in demand and business, they find it difficult to make new models of grinders regularly.

Also Read | Wet grinder manufacturers seek support

Though the Central government is implementing from 2004 a cluster project for wet grinder and accessory manufacturers it is practically difficult to make dies through common facilities or take up common marketing, says Mr. Soundarakumar.

The issues that the manufacturers face include 18 % GST on the grinders and shortage in availability of grinding stones. “We have also not raised the issues much because there is no demand for the grinders,” he added.