KOCHI: Industrial clusters in the State are eager to showcase their capabilities and create a niche for their products through the three-day Business To Business meet that began here on Tuesday evening.

Among the products on exhibition from the engineering cluster in Ernakulam district are samples of the Manichithrathazhu, the traditional ornate locking system and a treadmill, that are expected to display the range and capabilities of the enterprises that are finding a new footing through the cluster approach.

The B2B meet is the first big opportunity that has come the way of the industrial units which are using the cluster approach in a big manner to source raw materials, set up raw material banks and create common facilities.

Two consortiums have been set up in Ernakulam district. Paravoor Iron and Steel Consortium Private Limited and Cochin Engineering Products Consortium Private Limited are set to explore new opportunities through combined efforts.

According to sources in the Industries Department, the consortiums are already in talks with two leading public sector banks for a line of credit that will enable them to source steel directly from producing companies avoiding middlemen.

A team from the consortium is expected to go to Palakkad next week to negotiate the sourcing of raw materials from steel mills in the district, sources said here on Tuesday. They said a diagnostic study for the engineering cluster was expected to be ready within a fortnight.

The engineering clusters in the Ernakulam district are eager to use the new opportunities that will be thrown up by a boom in shipbuilding at Cochin Shipyard Limited. The proposed International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) too is being looked upon as a major opportunity by the engineering clusters.

The Cochin Engineering Products Consortium (CEPC) has already submitted its expression of interest to Cochin Shipyard Limited outlining the cluster's capabilities in the wake of a move by the Shipyard to facilitate setting up of ancillary units for shipbuilding within the Shipyard premise.

Meanwhile, the District Industries Centre here has targeted to register at least 10 per cent of the units applications which were received under the Prathyasa scheme. The Industries Centre had received as many as 4,700 applications for new registration under the scheme.

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