Koppal toy, Ballari textile clusters by next year

BENGALURU: Export of Koppal toys and Ballari textiles are set to get a fillip, with chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday launching two China-model clusters to scale up their manufacture.
The toy and textile clusters are among the nine industrial development clusters announced by the government earlier. The clusters will generate one lakh unskilled, semi-skilled jobs for labourers in each of the nine clusters, the CM told industry leaders after the launch.The two clusters will be up and running early next year.
Kumaraswamy claimed the government’s investor-friendly approach has fostered an efficient business environment in Karnataka.
Addressing industry leaders in the city on Monday, the CM said the government is open to their suggestions and willing to support the industry through subsidy. “Empowerment of women is our prime focus,” he added.
Ananth Padmanabhan of Shahi Exports Pvt Ltd, which is setting up a unit in the Ballari cluster, said 650 acres has already been identified at Kuditini, Ballari, and work to establish the cluster would start shortly. “In the last 25 years, no new textile industries have come up in the state. That’s because the cost of running the company for the first three to five years will be more due to less productivity and untrained employees. These clusters are an opportunity for industries,” he said.
S Subramanya, economic advisor to the CM, said the US’s economic stand towards China has changed and India is in a race with its neighbour. “China is slowing down in terms of manufacture; the country is going through economic transition. Like China, India has huge unskilled population who should be trained for the manufacturing sector,” said Subramanya, who is involved in making the clusters a reality over the last six months.