The recent spurt in developmental activities by the state Minister of Commerce and Industries, including the announcement of the decision by state Government to utilize locally produced fabrics and other loom products for school uniforms is a very positive and welcome move. In fact there had been steps taken up for establishment of a Powerloom and Allied Service Centre at the Industrial Estate, Takyelpat as a part of the initiative of the state government, particularly the Ministry of Commerce and Industries to establish additional industrial estates- a positive step towards the movement for industrialization of the state. The benefits these industrial machines and other sophisticated accessories installed in such industrial estates will provide, if put into practice, is immense and far reaching. Acute dependence on imports and from outside the state for almost all of our daily requirements, even for basic things like grains, vegetables and other agricultural products has been eating into the limited fiscal resources of the state. The initiative, keeping in view the look east policy of the Indian Government, is, as the Minister for Commerce and Industries has stated, to tap the latent opportunities that will are presently unutilised and to make the state an industrial hub for the rest of the country. What needs to be seen is the actual implementation- how earnest and committed the ministry is in this regard. A broader approach which will lead to the development and establishment of other tertiary sectors will be crucial to the survival and success of the industries. Another aspect that needs to be addressed, from a point of view of the general public, is the awareness of the benefits and possibilities these estates offers for the prospective industrialists as well as the schemes, subsidies, tax holidays and other such incentives that can be availed from the government by the small and micro industries. Financial availability, and more importantly, financial literacy is a major factor in an industrial set-up, more so in our cash- strapped state. A smoother, hassle free policy to make loans and other financial assistances to be made readily and timely available will decide the future of these industries. The grind and hurdles one has to go through for obtaining capital for any new venture, not to mention the personal “considerations” one has to provide the staffs and officials concerned, is the biggest deterrent for a majority of the public in their endeavor to set up a new enterprise. A dedicated financial house which can approve and speed up the funding process based solely on the merit and viability of the proposals being put up for financial assistance, and not based or influenced by personal considerations will go a long way in reducing the high rate of defaults in repayment of loans. Emphasis needs to be given in developing an atmosphere conducive to the development of small, micro and cottage industries which will act as the backbone for further industrialization. Another crucial aspect which seemed to have been overlooked by those framing policies and programs is that of a systematic and sustainable support system regarding the marketing of the various products produced by these Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which can be tweaked to include those from individuals, which will ultimately decide the fate of such ventures and initiatives. For the state to usher in a new era of industrialization, a concerted effort needs to be made by the government and the public to promote and participate which will come only when the general public is made aware of the full implications of such an initiative, else it may very well end up fading away into obscurity and even prove to become a liability, as numerous projects and haphazard initiatives in the state have turned out to be.
