| Ability to supply quality products at competitive
price is a key success factor in any business. This is more so in
international business where competition is not confined within
one country or state. When exporters from various countries compete
for same product - price, along with quality, play a crucial role
in decision making.
Sourcing Directly from Producer One can source almost everything from major cities like Delhi or Mumbai. However, in most cases, these products reach cities from hinterland through layers of middlemen, each of whom add a transaction cost. It is true that middlemen may also add value in terms of un-interrupted supply, consistent quality, low transport cost etc. However, you need to balance this with cost effectiveness of sourcing directly from producer. There is no omnibus solution - one should check various alternatives and take a decision that provides better sourcing cost. Sourcing from Special Geographical Pockets There are geographical pockets in India that have traditionally excelled in producing low cost products. Sourcing from such pockets may significantly reduce your sourcing cost. Following is a list of few such pockets Glass Bangles / Glassware Firozabad, also called the glass capital of India, is a small town in Uttar Pradesh, 40 km from Agra. This pocket accounts for roughly 70% of the total glass production in the small-scale sector. There is a large agglomeration of small-scale units engaged in the manufacture of hollow wares, decorative items, glass beads, bulbs, headlight covers, bangles, etc. Glass Beads Purdalpur, a village near Agra, Uttar Pradesh for North India and Papanaidupet, a village in Andhra Pradesh for South India. Home Furnishing Products Handloom and power looms are mainly used to manufacture various home furnishing products like table mats, durries, cushion covers etc. Though these products are manufactured in many states all over India (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu , West Bengal, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka) - two geographical pockets have excelled in production and export of home furnishing products: Karur in Tamilnadu and Panipat in Haryana Metal Handicraft Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, is renowned for brass work and has carved a niche for itself in the handicraft industry. It is believed that the brassware industry originated from Moradabad and spread to the rest of the country. Other geographical pockets of excellence in metal handicraft are Sambhal, Aligarh, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Delhi, Thanjavur, Jagadhari etc. Wooden Handicraft Saharanpur, in Uttar Pradesh, is famous for carved wooden handicraft and home of carving in hard sheesham, vice-leaf pattern. The range of designs include floral, geometric and figurative decoration, in addition to the traditional anguri and takai carvings, jali (fretted ornamentation), brass and copper and ivory inlay work. Some of the major products from Saharanpur are boxes, furnitures, candle stands, small utility items and other home decor items. Apart from Saharanpur, other pockets of excellence are Nagina, Hoshiarpur, Srinagar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bangalore, Mysore, Berhampur etc. Hand printed textiles and scarves Amroha, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Farrukhabad, Bagru and Sanganer Knitted Fabrics, T-Shirts, Hosiery Tirupur in Tamilnadu is the largest and best known centre of excellence in knitted fabrics and garments. Other important centre is Punjab and Gujarat Marble & soft stonecraft Agra, Tamil Nadu, Baster and Jodhpur Papier Mache crafts Kashmir, Jaipur Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh Terracota Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Baster Zari & zari goods Surat, Agra, Varanasi & Amritsar Imitation jewellery Delhi, Moradabad, Sambhal, Jaipur and Kohima Wools and Woolens The woolen industry in the country is small in size and widely scattered. It is mostly located in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, U.P., Maharashtra and Gujarat. 40% of the woolen units are located in Punjab, 27% in Haryana, 10% in Rajasthan, while the rest of the states account for the remaining 23% of the units. Jute and Coir Jute industry is highly concentrated with 59 Jute Mills (out of total 76 in the country) located in West Bengal. Kolkata and Howrah occupy a prominent place for jute and jute products. Kerala in the south is the main centre for coir and coir products. There are many other centres of excellence in India other than those listed above. Please do your homework to identify centres of excellence near your place. Happy and Productive Surfing Dr. Amit K Chatterjee Related Links:
Source: FAIDA
- Newsletter on Business Opportunties from India and Abroad
Vol: 6, Issue 5
; July 29' 2005
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