Clay tile manufacturers oppose FDI

Bangalore, Jan 9 (UNI) Federation of All India Earthen Tiles Manufacturers' President R S Bhagwat today urged the Centre to prevent the foreign investment in traditional clay tiles industry.

Opposing the moves made by some MNCs to enter the clay tiles sector, he said the union government should help protect the interests of the industry which was highly labour oriented by not according permission for FDI in this traditional industry.

While addressing a national meet on the problems faced by the industry, he said that there was an urgent need to modernise the industry with upgradation of technology to produce better quality tiles with a less cost of production like it as done in China.

The delegates highlighted the problems of taxation, availability clay, fuel costs and marketing facilities in their respective states.

They also pointed out that a backward country like Vietnam was doing so well and were using better technology than India in the clay sector.

The meet was organised mainly to initiate preventive measures that the Centre again did not levy any excise duty on the clay products.

The delegates from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka took part in the meet.

UNI