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Nitish Sharma
The scientific instruments industry of Ambala has lost its competitive edge in the last two decades due to lack of government support and advanced technology. Engaged in a battle for survival, manufacturers of science goods have appealed to the government for support to revive the industry and compete with Chinese products that have already captured a big share of the market.
The Ambala Scientific Instruments Manufacturers’ Association (ASIMA) wants the government to open a common facility centre and introduce advanced machines in Ambala so that the manufacturers can revive the industry.
The industry witnessed a good growth from 1980 to 2000 but after that there has been a downtrend in business. The availability of low cost Chinese products has left the industry to battle for survival.
In the last few years, a large number of local manufacturers started importing components from China and assembling them into laboratory instruments. This has helped them to cut costs and also maintain consistency in equipment design. It also helped the Ambala industry in breaking the monopoly of big players in the market.
Education and medical equipment are manufactured in Ambala. Though the local industry has limited production, it exports scientific goods worldwide.
Jitender Sehgal, president of ASIMA, says, “The scientific goods industry requires a common facility centre with advanced machines and technology that will help it in the long term. The industry is supplying educational and testing equipment to West Asia, European, African and other countries but the number of exporters is very less. The remaining manufacturers are dependent on the local market. There is need to improve the quality of products so that more manufacturers can export their goods but for that the latest technology is required”.
“Microscopes, glass tubing, and glassware products made in China are reaching Ambala. The prime reasons behind China’s success are automation and government support, which were lacking in India. Besides, China has the advantage of mass production that ensures products at cheaper rates. The situation is different here. Limited production and rise in input costs have created problems for the industry,” he adds.
The local industry has failed to adopt automation due to high cost.
A manufacturer says, “The Chinese industry makes three kinds of products — one for America, second for China and the third one for other countries such as India. The finishing and appearance of Chinese products is better than our goods, but our products are superior in terms of quality and accuracy. Local manufacturers can provide better products in sense of accuracy, but they are unable to adopt the latest technologies due to high cost of investment and lack of proper guidance”.
The government had initiated a Rs 100-crore Tool Room Project at Saha, near Ambala, in 2013 to help the industry but it also failed to take off.
Sehgal says that there are over 1,000 big and small units in Ambala providing employment to nearly 20,000 people. A common facility centre is part of the government policy. If the government provides some assistance, these units can generate more employment. The local industry also has the capability to beat the Chinese industry and capture a bigger market share both in the country and abroad.