CII to launch more clusters for small industries

Kolkata, Mar 03 (UNI) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has planned to launch shortly two more cluster projects at Kharagpur in West Bengal and Orissa's Balasore to help set up a cross-section of diverse industries in one place.

Chairman of CII(ER) SME Sub-Committee Ravi Todi today told a press conference that the proposed projects, with support from Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) would be third such venture after the just completed one in Kolkata.

While the existing cluster had 15 members, the proposed project in Kharagpur would have eight to ten members and that in Balasore would have eight members.

SIDBI Chairman and Managing Director N K Maini said SIDBI would give Rs five lakh for the Balasore project which would be a heterogeneous one.The Orissa Government had also agreed to give Rs 1.5 lakh for this purpose, he said.

Mr Todi said the member companies in the existing clusters had been able to increase productivity by 25 per cent and cut down production cost by 12 per cent.

UNI KDG SJC DB1906