VIJAYAWADA:To promote traditional industries and create a common platform for manufacturers for international marketing, the Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh (ALEAP) with the support of Government of India (GOI), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) is setting up three industrial clusters in Srikakulam, East Godavari and Anantapur districts soon.
The ALEAP has entered into an MoU with the GOI to set up three different Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Cluster Industries (SFURTI clusters), which include leather puppets industry in Anantapur district, mango jelly cluster in East Godavari and jute cluster in Srikakulam districts with a government funding of Rs 9 to 12 crore under cluster development programme for each cluster.
“These clusters will have a Common Facility Centre (CFC) that will house high-quality automated machinery to manufacture, design, preserve and export the products under one roof. These three MSME SFURTI clusters will give a boost to the khadi and village industries and also increase job opportunities in rural areas,” said ALEAP president K Rama Devi.
Under this programme, common facility will be provided for all the leather puppets manufacturers where they can easily get the raw material and the National Institute of Design (NID) will help them design a variety of models with their innovative ideas to stand in this competitive world. The mango jelly and jute manufacturers will be supported by the Central government. All small scale manufacturers will get complete information regarding the usage of latest technology and marketing of their products at single place with these clusters.
“Though the mango jelly, leather and jute are high export potential items, lack of marketing techniques and tie-ups with the companies have left the independent manufacturers in the lurch and the ALEAP is providing a platform for all the 100 independent manufacturers of these materials with each cluster,” she said.