The role of technology development in the economic progress of a nation is being increasingly recognised. Efforts are being made globally to develop technology strengths and firms are becoming more and more competitive. The developing countries especially have shown a marked rise in the pace of economic growth. The trends indicate that there is likely to be a shift in economic power towards the third world countries in the 21st century.

To become an economic power, technology and economy need to be considered in an integrated manner rather than as separate entities. With the opening up of economy, Indian industry needs to be globally competitive. The Indian Industry will have to support the nation in acquiring economic leadership and progress.  The foundation of this leadership will depend to a great extent on the technological excellence of the firms.

We invite industry association members to share their new technologies development and launches through this section.

Technology Challenges for MSME

Liberalisation and the accompanying policy of economic reforms have created a new environment that exposes the unorganised enterprises to various vulnerabilities while at the same time providing new and greater challenges for growth and adjustment. The post-liberalisation business environment has become harsh for the unorganised sector because of increased internal and external competition. Despite the growing awareness of the impending threats, the unorganised sector is not adequately prepared for the new challenges.

While the ability of unorganised enterprises to access existing technology and adapt it to their needs is crucial, the extent to which such enterprises innovate at their own levels is also considered critical in contributing to their productivity and growth. Technology acquisition, adaptation and innovation would not only facilitate them to move up the value chain and thus prepare them to effectively meet the challenges of a competitive environment but also create conditions for overcoming the prevailing disjunction between the organised and the small and micro enterprises.

An overwhelming proportion of the enterprises and workers in India are in the unorganised sector. These enterprises are present in both the rural and urban areas but their presence is significantly more in the rural areas. The unorganised workers have lower educational levels. Female workers and workers in the rural areas are worse off than the average. They are entangled in vicious levels of poverty which reduces their productivity and income levels. Productivity of the unorganised enterprises in the rural areas is low as compared to those of the urban counterparts.

As per the Third All India Census of Small scale Industries 2001-02, 85.38 per cent of the total registered SSI units do not have any access to technical know-how. Further, the unorganised sector enterprises are hampered by obsolete technology which further reduces their productivity and income. To improve productivity in the unorganised sector, simultaneous action is required to address the twin problems of skill and technology.

Technology & Innovation in MSEs

The technology and innovation processes in small and medium enterprises (MSEs) are different from those that take place in the context of larger firms. MSEs innovate more informally than large firms without developing an explicit strategic framework for innovation, and are generally outside the framework of formal R&D projects. MSEs are seen to be more region-centred than large firms. They are more locally bounded and depend strongly on their direct institutional environment. Technology and innovation processes thus call for the integration of different technological and organisational knowledge inputs that are often derived from other firms and other regions.

Technology in the MSE sector consists of the capability to integrate various elementary techniques, which may be complementary between themselves, while focusing on specific and often very specialised and innovative applications. Given the heterogeneity of MSEs, innovation opportunities differ greatly among the various groups, some firms are ready to introduce innovations relevant for their purposes, while others are not even aware of the potential innovations.
(Source: Report on Technology Upgradation for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector ;by NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR ENTERPRISES IN THE UNORGANISED SECTOR )

Green solutions for community, industry and the environment.

Environmental stewardship, carbon footprint and green manufacturing are words that until recently did not translate into manufacturing up-time, cost savings and production efficiency.

However, with the advent of emerging technologies, manufacturing innovation and corporate advocacy, it is not only possible, but also practical for industrial companies to be environmentally friendly and energy efficient. Today's plants are finding more and more that going green makes both social and economic sense.

A news letter from Kaman Industrial Technologies is reproduced here which features many green technologies solutions for industries.Click here for download.

(Reproduced with thanks from Kaman Industrial Technologies)