PM Modi to Visit Ludhiana for MSME National Award, Local Cycle Manufacturing Entrepreneurs Urged to Get Heard

On PM's Ludhiana Visit announcements, Local cycle parts manufacturers urge to escalate their voice. PM Modi is breaking the 'so-called-standards' by going to Ludhiana for MSME awards which is the actual action center for manufacturing MSMEs

LUDHIANA: Its also getting called as PM Modi way of doing things. Coming out from the boundaries of New Delhi, and doing away the so-called Vigyan Bhawan atmosphere and moving to the actual ground-zero of Indian MSMEs for recognizing the MSMEs, Ludhiana MSMEs are definately on cloud 9 with the announcement of National MSME Award to be hosted in Ludhaina. Yes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be vising the manufacturing hub of the country for the MSME National Award Ceremony.

The preparation for PM Modi’s visit to Ludhiana is in full swing. The MSME Ministry is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the programme is organized smoothly.

having said this, the small cycle manufacturers from the region, who have been raising the crucial issues for their survival, for quite some time now, are still waiting for the MSME Department’s intimation to facilitate a meeting between the industry representatives and PM Modi.

Rajiv Jain, General Secretary of United Cycles and Parts Manufacturers Association stated, in an online media, “We don’t have any intimation about PM Modi’s visit to Ludhiana. We had urged the MSME Department to facilitate a meeting with the PM, but so far we have not got a chance to meet him.” Mr Jain shared his views with KNN.

At this point, industry wants to bring policy makers' attention towards the major issues related to Chinese imports. The Supreme Court had formed a committee on Road Safety which has made mandatory use of specific reflectors on the bicycle which are not currently manufactured in India and have to be imported from China.

Cycle industry had said that reflectors with these standards (ISO-6742, international standard) are manufactured by only one company in China. This decision is not only creating monopoly for one Chinese company but also putting a question mark why a product which is currently not manufactured in India is being made mandatory.

The cycle manufacturers in August 2016 had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention over Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)’s order mandating bicycle manufacturers for using specific reflectors in the bicycle.

The cycle manufacturers of Ludhiana, most of which are MSMEs, also fear of losing their businesses to the Chinese companies to be established at the Ludhiana Cycle Valley.

Punjab Government is coming up with a 300 acres cycle valley project at Dhanansu village of Ludhiana.

Apart from this, some cycle manufacturers from the region were also upset with the Rajasthan Government over its tender to buy 3 lakh bicycles.

The tender wanted the participating units to have a minimum turnover of Rs 200 crore, which surely keeps the MSME units out of its ambit.

Now, it is for all to wait and watch whether these small entrepreneurs from the manufacturing hub of the country get to meet the PM or not.