MADURAI: R. Mahalakshmi of Mangudi village in Sivaganga district joined B. Tech. (Textile Technology) in Anna University, Guindy, with a score of 1150 in Plus Two examination in 2012. Today, the daughter of a mason supervises a garment manufacturing unit at Madurai Hosiery Industries Association (MAHIA) Industrial Estate in Uranganpatti on Madurai-Sivaganga Road.
Her degree could have got her a job in any big city, but Ms. Mahalakshmi chose to work closer to home. “I help other women in acquiring new skills using technology. Incidentally, I also learn management skills,” she says.
She hopes to own a unit one day. Her dream is shared by many fellow workers in the 100-acre industrial estate, which was conceived by a group of industrialists, who formed Madurai Hosiery Industries Association in 1993, and started in 1994 – one of the three private industrial estates that came into existence in the country – with the sole objective of facilitating entrepreneurship in south Tamil Nadu.
In about 23 years, it has drawn many first-generation entrepreneurs to its fold and provided employment to 3,500 people – more than 80 % of them are women – from 30 villages of Madurai and Sivaganga districts. This estate, which was almost written off as not viable at the beginning of this century, has multiplied the projected annual turnover many times.
“At the prevailing scenario in 1994, we anticipated an annual turnover of ₹100 crore. Today, it stands anywhere between ₹1,000 crore and ₹1,500 crore,” says A.K.B. Nawas Babu, president, MAHIA.
Employees acknowledge that they are happy working here for factors like proximity to home, transportation and job security. A majority of the units work only in single shift, thus enabling their employees reach home by sunset. Entrepreneurs who rented sheds to start their ventures now own them. “I have a successful venture in Uranganpatti because of the availability of required infrastructure and cheap labour. It is also safe here. I can leave goods outside my factory without any bother,” says V. Venkatesh, a first-generation entrepreneur.
In comparison with other industrial estates in K. Pudur, Kappalur and Vadipatti, Uranganpatti is a lesson in self-sufficiency. “We have not taken any help from the government or the local body. In fact, we paid a fee to SIDCO for developing infrastructure with our money,” says Mr. Nawas Babu.
It has an integrated skill development centre recognised by the Union Ministry of Textiles. Though it has all bare essentials, the Uranganpatti estate, by any means, is not picture perfect. There are roads, if you can call them so, a power substation, telephone exchange, a fuel pump, canteens, temple and an ATM centre and drive-in restaurant are expected to be appended shortly.
The roads are damaged; there is no storm water drain or common effluent treatment facility. “We have planned to lay roads with bank loans and funds collected from members, instead of looking to the government or civic body,” says S. Manikanda Velan, a first-generation entrepreneur and joint secretary, MAHIA.
Absence of good roads is not the only problem. Following the decision taken in 2000 to allow all manufacturing units into the estate, which was conceived exclusively for hosiery units, the problem of pollution control is growing bigger by the year. Now, there are rubber, plastic, engineering, food processing, packaging, agro and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the estate.
Some of the units in Uranganpatti have been moved by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board from Red category to Orange (less polluting) in August 2016.
It is apprehended that if these units do not adopt safe disposal of waste soon, it may have a negative impact on the industrial estate, which has many units in the Green category, as a whole.
A few of the plastic processing units dump waste outside their walls, exposing them to the elements. Because of the concentration of granite polishing units, presence of granite dust in the air is high on Madurai-Sivaganga Road. Plastic waste may add to the pollution of the area. Self-regulation will be beneficial to all units in the estate, entrepreneurs feel.
The other problem is the absence of ESI dispensary or hospital close by. Workers have to travel to Thathaneri or Manalur or approach private hospitals nearby for treatment.
After consolidating its position as a viable venture, the Uranganpatti industrial estate now looks towards expanding and bringing market visibility to its products. “We will soon have a display centre in which all products made in the estate will be on sale. A website, www.mahia.co.in , was launched recently for the benefit of buyers, with links to websites of individual units,” says Mr. Nawas Babu.
The MAHIA is working towards attaining full occupancy of the estate. Now the estate has 147 industrial sheds, of which 125 are occupied. Availability of land around individual units signals scope for vertical and horizontal growth.
