Under a mandate and support from the Union Commerce Ministry, the EEPC India opened its Technology Centre in Kolkata, the second such facility for helping engineering exporters, particularly in the MSME sector, to scale up on the technology-led value chain to compete In the global market.
Inaugurating the second EEPC India Technology Centre, Commerce Secretary Dr Anup Wadhawan said through these facilities, the country’s engineering exporters would be made globally competitive with laudable efforts of top scientists from leading research and development institutions. The Bengaluru centre had already been made functional in 2017 and Is helping the exporters to scale up their technological capabilities. Dr Wadhawan said in case of engineering exports, it was found that around 93/94 per cent were low- to- medium value added products. ” This consistently erodes India’s engineering export base as neither the cost of raw-material nor labour remained cheap in India”. Thus, it was thought prudent to facilitate the MSMEs to upgrade/develop technologies in collaboration with R&D labs, technology institutes so that they can move up the value chain, he said.
Inaugurating the second EEPC India Technology Centre, Commerce Secretary Dr Anup Wadhawan said through these facilities, the country’s engineering exporters would be made globally competitive with laudable efforts of top scientists from leading research and development institutions. The Bengaluru centre had already been made functional in 2017 and Is helping the exporters to scale up their technological capabilities. Dr Wadhawan said in case of engineering exports, it was found that around 93/94 per cent were low- to- medium value added products. ” This consistently erodes India’s engineering export base as neither the cost of raw-material nor labour remained cheap in India”. Thus, it was thought prudent to facilitate the MSMEs to upgrade/develop technologies in collaboration with R&D labs, technology institutes so that they can move up the value chain, he said.
The existing tie ups are with NID ( National Institute of Design) for design, International Institute of Waste Management (IIWM) for capacity building, IP Attorney for IPR related issues, CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) — CMERI ( Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute), CSIR- NML (National Metallurgical Laboratory) and with CSIR- AMPRI (Advance Materials and Processes Research Institute) which would help the country’s engineering exporters in achieving cutting edge technologies .
Central electro Chemical research Institute (CECRI), Indian Institute of Packaging, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Centre for Development of Advanced computing, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Technology Development Board (DST), 151, Autodesk (3D designing) and Stratasys for Additive manufacturing are the bodies for future planned collaborations.
Dr Wadhawan said EEPC India which has been the torchbearer of engineering exports, has come up with a commendable initiative of Technology Centres sponsored by Ministry of Commerce in line with the government’s flagship programmes –Make in India and Digital India.
In his welcome speech, EEPC India Chairman Mr Ravi Sehgal said such technology centres are the first of its kind initiative among the country’s export promotion councils in different verticals.
He said, though Indian engineering exports continue to remain dominant position, accounting for about one-fourth of the country’s total merchandise export basket, “our position in the global exports remains stagnant between 0.8- 1 per cent over the last 10-15 years, since majority of our products are from low and middle level of the value chain”. Mr Sehgal said, this position needs to be reversed and the process would be helped by the technology centres.
Mr Mahesh Kr Desai, Senior Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Committee on Technology Centre, R&D, TUFs, EEPC India said the technology centres are helping MSMEs scale up to
Industry 4.0 through 3D printing and other IT enabled tools and capabilities. ” These are culmination of our engagement efforts with the Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to Prime Minister through conducting technology seminars in identified industrial clusters”, Mr Desai said.
Vice Chairman of EEPC India, Mr Arun Kumar Garodia said Government of India has offered a slew of export promotion measures particularly in the MSME sector. Captive Technology Centres are assisting “our goal to graduate into technology drivers from being followers”.
The inauguration was followed by a interactive session with Commerce Secretary. Mr B S Bhalla, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr B D Agarwal, Regional Chairman (ER), EEPC India, Past Chairman were among those present.
The inauguration was followed by a interactive session with Commerce Secretary. Mr B S Bhalla, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mr B D Agarwal, Regional Chairman (ER), EEPC India, Past Chairman were among those present.
