“The industries in Belagavi’s hydraulics sector should work towards shifting to adopt the tech advancements since the customer demands are now based on the latest technology. So, we should keep updated in terms of technology,” says Amit Darekar, Director-Operations of Hydropack (India) Pvt Ltd, which was established in 1989.
To register for the Belagavi conclave, click here.
For context, Belagavi is home to several manufacturers in the hydraulic sector. Belgaum is considered the hydraulic capital of India. Due to a rich deposit base of bauxite and over 200 foundries, it is a critical center for manufacture of heavy machine tools and high pressure oil hydraulics. Its strategic location in the middle of the Bengaluru-Mumbai region gives it a major advantage in being a support base for engineering industries in the region.
According to the Karnataka Economic Survey 2023, among the state’s industrial ecosystem, the Belagavi district has the second-highest number of units (at 2,99,997), after Bengaluru Urban (at 78,24,646). FF Jamadar, co-owner, Universal Hydraulics, says the overall environment for engineering industries in the city is largely supportive. “Easy raw material availability on account of being near to Mumbai and Bengaluru is advantageous to Belagavi,” adds Jamadar.In terms of skilled labour, he admits there is a problem. “Finding skilled labour was a big issue during Covid-19 times. It has improved since, but we want things to smoothen quickly,” says Jamadar. He also thinks Belagavi can do better if more big industries shift here as the region is dominated by small-scale industries. “Small industries can benefit by producing and supplying ancillary components that are useful for the assembling of final products.” Logistics improvement
Darekar says that a strategically located and mineral rich city such as Belagavi should have better air connectivity with the rest of the country. “Belagavi has an airport, but very few flights take off from the city to cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. Available flights are mostly connecting ones. There is also a lot of delay in flight schedules,” adds Darekar.
Despite being the second most important city after Bengaluru in Karnataka, Belagavi’s poor air connectivity stands out like a sore thumb. This and other issues need to be addressed to make the city a star for MSMEs.
With an eye on the state’s entrepreneurial abilities and potential, SIDBI, in association with The Economic Times, is holding the SIDBI ET MSME Summit on February 6 in Belagavi. The summit is a part of a series of events being held across the country that will bring together micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs), policymakers and ecosystem enablers. The first event took place in Indore on January 9, the second in Bhubaneswar on January 12, and the third in Ludhiana on January 19. After Belagavi, the summit will be held in Rajkot and Aurangabad.
To register for the Belagavi conclave, click here.
