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Friday, Dec 26, 2008
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Better business for pumpset units

M. Soundariya Preetha

COIMBATORE: Despite the general slowdown, which has affected several industries here, the pumpset manufacturing units seem to be doing better during the last two months.

Business has looked up since October in the domestic and export markets for these. But, the growth is more unit-wise and not industry-wide. Also, business is better only in relative terms (compared to other sectors here), says Jayakumar Ramdass, president of the Southern India Engineering Manufacturers’ Association.

“We have not been hit by the recession as badly as other sectors,” he says. The easy availability of electricity connections and kisan loans in some of the States, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, during the recent months helped those manufacturers who had established markets in these States. Globally too, the agricultural sector has not faced a slowdown and this helps pumpset sales to some extent.

However, there are some units here whose exports have been hit, he points out.

V. Krishna Kumar, president of the Indian Pumps Manufacturers’ Association, points out that Coimbatore manufactures mainly agricultural and domestic pumps. Industrial pumps are negligible here. Pumpsets for industrial use enjoyed a boom when the economy was doing well. Now, these are also hit by the slowdown.

The agricultural and domestic pumps have not faced this fluctuation, he says.

Further, in the recent months, awareness on branded and energy efficient pumps has improved and so there is a gradual shift to these pumpsets.

Most of the manufacturers have a wide geographical presence and a variety of pumpsets. Hence, they have been able to cater to the needs of domestic and agricultural sectors. With better industrial practices and higher quality, the pumpset manufacturers are able to manage even during the slowdown period, he says.

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