Cluster development of industries in Mysore has received a boost with the announcement of a mega textile cluster in the Union Budget tabled on Thursday.
This joins the list of three other clusters — packaging cluster, general engineering cluster and printing cluster — approved for the city in recent times.
Stakeholders are optimistic that it will help generate considerable employment in Mysore apart from fuelling the local economy while spanning new ancillary units.
Historically, Mysore has established a brand for its silk products thanks to sericulture development in the region.
In addition to silk, cotton is cultivated in the region and hence there is much scope for the textile cluster.
At present, the existing textile units in the region procure raw materials from Tamil Nadu. Farmers from H.D. Kote sell cotton to textile units and spinning mills in Tamil Nadu, said Vivek Cariappa, an organic farmer.
A textile cluster next door will help farmers get a ready market and eliminate transportation costs.
Being a labour-intensive industry, it will absorb work force while the ancillary units will generate employment in the region, he added.
However, this optimism is also tempered by an earlier experience with the textile park cluster, announced by the State government a few years ago.
The concept never took off and the land was parcelled out to general industries at Kadakola on the outskirts of Mysore.
No takersSuresh Kumar Jain, general secretary, Mysore Industries Association, told The Hindu that about 250 acres of land was earmarked for the textile park. But far from giving a thrust to textile units, it saw no takers as the government went slow on its implementation.
The land is now occupied by general engineering units forcing authorities to identify fresh land for the textile cluster.
Meanwhile, the engineering cluster is slow in taking shape but, stakeholders believe it will provide a thrust to the automobile sector.
Mr. Jain said that entrepreneurs in Mysore have to go to Bangalore or Coimbatore for machine testing.
Establishment of engineering cluster will help bring state-of-the-art machinery at a subsidised cost with the government is chipping in with funds.
Common facilityThis will serve as a common facility for all medium and small scale industries in the Mysore region.
Stakeholders believe it will also lead to technology upgradation. The packaging cluster and printing cluster will also bring similar dividends to entrepreneurs, Mr. Jain said.
