Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Market aggressively: Minister

By Our Staff Reporter

VELLORE March 10. The Tamil Nadu Small Industries Ltd. and the Khadi and Village Industries Board officials have been urged to go in for aggressive marketing, according to the Minister for Rural Industries, R.Vilvanathan.

Speaking to presspersons here on Sunday, the Minister said he had organised review meetings with heads of various departments and quasi-government bodies, such as the TANSI, KVIB and the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (TANSIDCO).

The TANSI officials had been directed to put up showrooms in other states to exhibit their products. It is hoped that the move will help in boosting their sales. Officials were also told that the TANSI could ill-afford to depend only on the State Government for purchasing its products. Hence the need was to go in for aggressive marketing to increase customer reach.

The officials were also told to keep prices at an affordable level without compromising on quality. Mr. Vilvanathan said the department of sericulture and TANSILK had been asked to explore the possibilities of producing silk yarn locally, utilising the potential for mulberry cultivation in the State.

As against the State's requirements of six-lakhs kg of silk yarn, only two-lakhs kg was available locally, while the rest was being procured from Karnataka. Though sericulturists in the state produce substantial quantities of cocoons, a major portion of it was sent to Karnataka. Steps should be taken to procure cocoons locally and produce silk yarn in Tamil Nadu.

The Minister also proposed to organise industrial seminars in every district, which will serve as a platform for discussions and suggestions from industrialists and farmers on the marketing and manufacturing potential of various products based on the local availability and needs.

Plans were afoot to make use of wasteland for cultivation of herbs and manufacture of herbal products after assessing the marketing potential of products, he said.

After the G.O., which permitted outsourcing of departments internal requirements from private agencies, was quashed, the fortunes of small-scale industries have been looking up. The G.O. had resulted in losses worth Rs.150 cores by way of tax and Rs.1500 crores as income to the state SSIs.

The SSIs have now been allowed to sell their products to government departments at a profit margin of 10 to 15 per cent, the Minister claimed.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Karunanidhi observes fast
• It's traders who are making hay
• New building for Judicial Academy
• Hyder Ali lodged in Palayamkottai prison
• Former VC seeks open university in State
• Be punctual, Bharucha tells judges
• Nilgiris potato trade struggling against odds
• Market aggressively: Minister
• `Transport employees' welfare will be ensured'
• Women formulate strategies against AIDS
• Vasan to file papers today for RS poll
• Chengalpattu Filaria centre lacks adequate facilities
• Govt. to reimburse compensation paid by doctor

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu