Ahmedabad

Shri Anant Geete, Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises while inaugurating DHI-FICCI Workshop on “Technology Development for Capital Goods: Constraints & the Way Forward” in Ahmedabad today urged the industry to come forward and make use of the Capital Goods Scheme notified by Department of Heavy Industries (DHI), Government of India to bridge the technology gaps in the sector.

The scheme launched under the Make in India initiative of Government of India provides support to the industry to acquire technology, set-up technology development centres in collaboration with Institutes, and create common infrastructure for the capital goods industry.

In capital goods sector, the technology gap is widening when compared to other countries. Dependence on high-end technology capital goods is increasing in the country and upgradation of technology levels, continuous R & D efforts and self sufficiency of the nation in this sector requires desired levels of investment and support by the Government. Under these circumstances, this scheme of the DHI will help the industry in acquiring technologies from abroad or to develop such technologies within the country with the support of an institute.

Shri Geete said “While there are some players who have technological competencies, especially in design capability, application innovation and process innovation, the technological capabilities of large number of players, especially in the SME sector, are limited. India has become one of the largest importers of capital goods in the world importing around US $ 20 billion of CG imports per year. This has adversely affected the indigenous capital goods industry”.

The scheme is valued at Rs 1000 crore and Government of India is contributing around Rs six hundred odd crore for the Scheme for the next four years.

This is the first scheme launched by an economic Ministry of Government of India facilitating collaboration between industry and academia and as a fulfillment of the objective of Make in India.

Shri Geete also said that his Government was working with countries like Germany, USA etc to liberalise the exports of dual use technologies that would benefit the capital goods sector. Transfer of technology from other developed countries has not been significant despite liberalization of policies for technology transfer and foreign direct investments. Constraints imposed by developed countries on dual use items exports have restricted the technology development in our country.

A unique component of the Scheme is Technology Acquisition Fund where Government is giving support up to 25% of the cost of technology subject to the limit of Rs. 10 crore.

The scheme would particularly be helpful for the industry in Gujarat as lot of capital goods industry and components producers are present in the State in sectors like textiles machinery, plastic machinery, machine tools, process plant and engineering. The engineering clusters of Gujarat can take advantage of this scheme to achieve next levels of the technology.

Shri M.S. Unnikrishnan, Co-chairman, FICCI Capital Goods Committee & Managing Director & CEO, Thermax Limited said “This scheme of the DHI was indeed the need of the hour for capital goods sector. The scheme has rightly focused on the technology development besides other aspects. Industry congratulates the Hon’ble Minister and his team for the introduction of this scheme”.