Cluster Approach to Strengthen the Local Electronic Industry
Background
Mysuru ESDM Cluster: India’s import of electronics goods like – TVs, Mobile phones, wearable electronic items, Cameras, automobile electronics, communication gears, computers, laptops, defence electronics etc. have skyrocketed and has gone over the roof. The import bill of electronic goods is on par with the import bill of oil and other essential commodities, and it is adding to India’s massive “Current Account Deficit (CAD)”, which is due to Imports getting bigger than exports in dollar terms. This high CAD is a serious problem, as it is draining India’s valuable exchequer. To reduce the CAD, India has to reduce her imports and boost her exports. To do that, a whole lot of “policy changes” are needed for India to produce and export more and import less.
The Manufacture and export of electronics goods can be a good case. For that to happen, a deep and wide component ecosystem should be available in India. That means, most of the components which go into the manufacture of electronic goods should be sourced locally. For that, they need to be made in India first.
Photo by Jonas Svidras from Pexels
PLI schemes to make India a global hub for ESDM
To transform India into a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) and to support the National Policy on Electronics (NPE), Government of India (GOI) has come out with bath breaking three schemes
Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for large scale electronics manufacturing
Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS)
Under the modified Electronic cluster scheme (EMC), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeITY) has come out with a plan to create a component supply ecosystem first, by strengthening the existing clusters and creating new clusters spread all over India.
Mysuru, having had the head start in the ESDM sector, was selected to set up such a cluster by name “Lahari” at the cost of Rs. 29 Crores to provide following facilities.
Photo by Jeremy Waterhouse from Pexels
Lahari – A ‘World Class TESTING and CERTIFYING Facility’
It has been set up in the historic city of Mysuru, to provide Testing, Quality & Regulatory needs of the regional electronic Industry. It assists in accessing better technology and facilitates companies to climb higher on the product value chain. Lahari has the arsenal of “Advanced Technologies and methodologies” to help grow the local electronic industry, encourage new investments and new product designs.
Lahari is operating state-of-the-art ISO 17025 2017 NABL accredited infrastructure with capability to test as per National & International standards. The testing and certifying facility includes EMI/EMC, Reliability, Environmental, Mechanical, Safety and Component Testing Labs.
The facility has dedicated space for engineering activities for iterative product improvement, resident expert consultancy services. Lahari’s aim is to support startups to help them in new product designs and compliance with very minimal fees. In a nutshell the facility offers the following
Start up incubation and design consultancy services to entire electronic industries including Medical Devices, IT hardware (product & sub-assemblies/components), Power, Energy and Telecom (products like inverters, switch gears, control gears, meters etc.), Automotive, Military and Aerospace.
Lahari offers a modern guest-house facility for the outstation guests who come to Mysuru for availing the services provided by Lahari. There is special pricing provided for members.
In short, Lahari is a “ONE STOP SHOP for PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & COMPLIANCE work” – dedicated to the Electronics Manufacturing Sector.
Conclusion
With so much support from the government, and the zeal of the local entrepreneurs to grow their electronic business and match with, if not, surpass the accomplishments of their peers at various electronic hubs of the world, will one day raise the profile of local manufacturers to that of global level.
It will boost the local economy and create plenty of decently paid jobs for the young/ restless youth of the region.
Scientific Urban Planning begining: In the late 19th century, evolution of a well-planned modern Mysuru town started off with a few wide roads radiating from the central fort area (now Amba vilas). The town went on to scientifically add public offices, market places, vast parks, along with a well-planned road network developed around the central fort area.
In the 90s, MUDA designed and built some spectacular residential layouts that are spaciously spread with all civic amenities, 100% underground drainage system and beautiful roads. The main road network integrates very well with the central core of old Mysuru. Thanks to MUDA for superior urban planning, which makes Mysuru to be counted as one of the planned cities of India.
However, in recent times i.e. from early 2000s due to rapid urbanisation, the demand for individual plots has outpaced the supply from MUDA leading to heavy proliferation of haphazardly designed private layouts. Also the expansion of Mysuru City Corporation limit has been limited, leaving many villages on the city periphery at the mercy of poorly governed and funded Gram Panchayats.
Usually GPs lack expertise and resources to plan and develop civic infrastructure. So this remarkable differentiation of civic infra within the city has led to a situation of HAVES AND HAVES NOT which is slowly diminishing the brand of Mysuru as a “Planned City”. If this trend continues, Mysuru would turn into an irreparable urban mess which is not in anybody’s interest. So time has come to get back to the drawing board and develop scientific urban designs suitable to Mysuru.
Need for Expanding Mysuru City Limits
Expansion will ensure equitable development of the city with modern civic infrastructure and will help in raising the lifestyle index of the city.
Currently, Mysuru City Corporation takes care of roughly 155.7 SQ KM of urban setting that comes under its jurisdiction, which is divided into 65 wards.
Municipal wards enjoy superior civic amenities like scientific solid waste management system, clean tap water running 24×7, daily road upkeep, streetlights, well maintained parks, underground drainage system, wide planned roads, public transport infra and regular sanitisation. Unfortunately, most of the newly built private layouts and peripheral villages lack the above mentioned facilities.
Regarding the above issue people bring it to the notice of the authorities but no use. Bars near RingRoad contributing much to it. The Responsible Mysore Srirampura Gram panchayath's office is nearly 100mtrs to it but no action. Dear authorities pls take some action.
To understand where Mysuru stands with regard to current and projected population and urbanisation, statistics are tabulated below which leads us to one important parameter.
Projected Population and Urbanisation, Statistics | Source
Equitable Development Ratio < 1.0
Most Important parameter is the ratio of built-up urban and MCC jurisdiction area. This ratio throws light on the extent of inequitable urban development in Mysuru. In 2000, the ratio was 0.59; which means all of the urban built area was governed by MCC. In 2010, the ratio was 1, signifying “just” equitable development. Ideally, MCC should have progressively expanded its jurisdiction to maintain a ratio < 1.0. Ratio <1 would mean equitable development in the city.
Between 2010 to 2020, limited expansion of MCC limits has kept nearly 45% of urban built up area out of bounds of MCC civic facilities. Finally it only points to the eroding quality of lifestyle in Mysuru with time.
Below image shows the MCC limit (marked in black dashed line) and the spillover of layouts.
Mysuru Land Usage Map | Source: MUDA
Bigger the Population Bigger the Funds and Greater access to Schemes
The downside of having a lower population figure is that cities are ineligible for various central govt urban schemes. Usually, cities with greater population have greater chances of qualifying for mega urban schemes. For instance, MoUHA only considers million plus populated cities for Mass rapid transport systems like metro and mono rail. Therefore, it is in the interest of Mysuru to expand its corporation limit before the next National census.
Mysuru Suburban Problems
Mysuru needs proper urban planning, because its suburbs on the outskirts are growing along with some very critical problems. If left unaddressed, it can lead to urban disaster in the coming years.
Horizontal sprawl : Mysuru is largely a flat city with massive residential layouts sprawling across. Such a setup is unsustainable considering the huge land requirements apart from incurring significant costs in the development of infrastructure for layout style housing and maintenance. Land is already scarce and unfortunately, in most cases housing layouts are being built over fertile agricultural lands which endangers food security.
Unplanned residential layouts : Most of the private layouts sprouting on the outskirts are developed on small revenue lands/farm lands which come under town planning authority/gram panchayats. To maximise their profits, private developers usually compromise on the layout design and road width leading to choked road connectivity with adjacent layouts in the form of numerous dead ends. As a consequence it has detrimental effect on the real estate value of the layout. The resale value of a site would settle at lower levels failing to fetch good returns.
Strain on Public Transportation- Maze of Choked Roads : As a result of large unplanned horizontal sprawl and poorly integrated road network, public transportation will largely remain out of bounds in such suburbs. It also makes operation of even mini city buses financially unviable in an infinite maze of choked roads.
Limited scope for MRTS: For any MRTS project to succeed in the truest form, it is important to ensure last mile connectivity. In most metro cities the trend is to have higher FAR along MRTS lines to develop dense residential and commercial pockets. It is a win-win situation here for the public and the MRTS owners. But MRTS demands wide roads connecting major residential and commercial centers and they preferably be aligned straight. Unfortunately, the poorly planned suburban areas don’t meet the necessary conditions thus limiting the prospects of building MRTS like metro or mono rail in future.
Increase in Carbon Footprint : Horizontal sprawl results in increased carbon footprint. More road length means more travel distance and hence, more vehicular emissions. As on today, the distance from CBD to the farthest housing layout is about 15KM. Any further expansion from here will fatigue out the city badly.
All in all, Mysuru suburban areas are facing many challenges, but the above listed ones need to be tackled urgently.
Mysuru must Aim for
Uniform Municipal Laws : All byelaws and building norms shall be uniformly applicable across Mysuru urban region. This brings homogeneity and orderliness making governance of the city easier and simpler.
Equitable Development : Superior civic infra and amenities must be provided to all residents to ensure highest living standards across the city without differentiation. A goal that every city corporation must meet.
Sustainable Development : Judicious utilisation of land must be the prime aim considering scarcity of land for housing and FSI (Floor space index) must be relaxed to support vertical development. Emphasis must be laid on improving green cover of the city.
Way Forward
Stage 1: Expansion of Mysuru city corporation limits by absorbing developed/semi developed MUDA approved layouts and villages under gram panchayat.
It is important to acknowledge that implementation of such major urban reforms will face immediate challenges like mobilisation of physical resources and finances.
Challenge 1: Fund Mobilisation: Due to the fact that most of the areas under Gram Panchayats are poorly equipped with civic infra, their immediate transfer in present form will financially burden the MCC. So MCC will have to look for avenues to mobilise funds and resources to upgrade their infrastructure and to render services. Below mentioned are some possible interventions through which funds can be mobilised.
Short Term
Loans- Approach World Bank, Asian development bank or any other with low interest rates.
One time Government grant- Prepare a comprehensive report and submit it to the state/ central government seeking one time funds.
Medium Term
Start taxing the areas recently absorbed.
Levy Greater Mysuru cess on some municipal services.
Monetize existing parking lots in CBD to rake in revenue.
Increase the monthly tariff in all city markets managed by MCC.
Long Term
Construct solid waste to energy generation plants.
Build Debris recycling plants and generate revenue by selling the by-products.
Develop multi-level parking lots.
Monetize entry of some popular parks and tourist centers under MCC.
Challenge 2: Physical Resource Mobilization: Services like door to door waste collection and street maintenance require significant investment in men and material. Therefore, MCC must mobilise these resources with the funds generated from short term interventions.
Stage 2: Making Urban Development Authority more competent
Mysuru urban development authority (MUDA) must mature into a more competent authority and solve the suburban issues highlighted above.
Establish a competent urban planning and design department headed by a team of senior city planners.
MUDA, MCC, Directorate of Municipal Administration, Karnataka, Directorate of Urban Land Transport and other similar stakeholders need to share knowledge with each other often and focus on training their personal with new age design tool to accomplish Urban planning scientifically.
Take Stringent action on private developers failing to develop basic infra.
MUDA must initiate transfer of private layout under its jurisdiction to MCC only after ensuring necessary infrastructure is in place.
Initiate vertical growth zones.
Emphasize on Vertical Growth
Horizontal versus Vertical Urban setting
To reduce carbon footprint and maintenance costs of civic infra, it is imperative to support vertical growth. Outskirts of Mysuru must have FSI value > 2.75 to allow skyscrapers. Importantly, well planned road network should integrate with existing major thoroughfares of the city to enable seamless and comfortable transit. Also the design of road network must be such that it accommodates MRTS in future. Vertical development has many advantages to offer. Firstly, it will save ample acres of land that can be used for developing green zones and other civic amenities. Secondly, it will lower housing costs and finally, it will reduce encroachment of farmlands.
Expanding Mysuru City Corporation limits
In a major boost towards the realisation of Greater Mysuru, recently, Chamundi Hill, Hinkal, Srirampura and Bogadi GPs received in principle approval for their merger with MCC all due to the efforts of MP Shri Pratap Simha and MLA GT Devegowda. Take a look at the updates in the below tweet.
Urban Planning is a Scientific Art, Unique to each City
Scientific Urban Planning: Today we are standing at a critical juncture, wherein, on one side we ought to preserve heritage character of the city and on the other hand we need to do everything to script economic success. However, in this process there is a real threat to the rich culture and heritage. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully craft the urban designs to eliminate the threat. Every city more or less face similar set of civic issues but that does not mean a successful urban design of one city would be applicable to others, so the stakeholders involved in development of the city need to coordinate with each other and formulate reforms that best suit our city needs.
Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) has drawn up concrete plans to set up Incubation cum Skill Development centre in Mysuru.
The centre is expected to impart industry demanding, new age technical skills, mainly in the areas of Mechanical and Electronics engineering. Establishment of such skill centres across the country assumes greater significance in the light of Atmanirbhar Bharat program initiated by the Prime Minister, wherein, there is renewed thrust on domestic manufacturing of niche imported products. To achieve self-reliance in domestic manufacturing, the technical skill set of people is very important, apart from the necessary industrial infrastructure, tax incentives and ecosystem. With greater technical skill quotient, India will be able to attract renowned international brands to design and manufacture their goods in the country. Such Design led manufacturing investments will bring in high paying jobs leading to overall increase in quality of lifestyle. This will also have a twin effect of reducing import bills and boosting industrial job opportunities in the country, which otherwise is over-populated in the agriculture sector.
Project Brief
The proposal is in an advanced stage with the Karnataka Housing board calling tenders for both Civil construction and Project Management consultancy services. The Karnataka Housing board is providing execution assistance to the project. PMC consultant shall liaise with the contractor and client to update the progress, act as a third party verifier and keep tab on the quality and schedule during the course of execution. Apart from Incubation and skill centre, the complex shall also house an Evaluation centre and a Guest house block. Civil construction would cost alone approximately 48.3 crore Rs., which is expected to be completed within 18 months from the date of award of work. The complex is slated to come up on Sy.no.22 spread over 34 acres in Choranahalli Village.
Site Layout | VTU Incubation & Skill Development Centre, Mysuru
VTU Skill development block comprises Stilt, Ground and First floor with a total floor area of 3661 square meters (35,396 square feet). This block houses classrooms, laboratories and workshops of Pneumatics, Hydrology, Electronics, Control, Robotics, and Automobile. It is also equipped with a library. Incubation centre is a Ground plus one floor structure, which hosts 3 big incubation labs and workstations. Guest house block is a ground structure, which shall have 12 VIP rooms and 2 dorms, with a kitchen and dining hall.
All in all, once completed, the complex will cater to the growing demands of industries for competent engineers and also play a vital role in attracting research and development investments in the region.
Floriculture in the Old Mysuru Region; We are bringing out our Analysis of the issues faced by the floriculture industry in Karnataka currently, and our step-by-step approach to solve them. We will come out with our roadmap to modernise it and transform it to bring it on par with other industries – IT, manufacturing, banking etc. We will do our narration through a few articles and it will be in the form of a series.
This is an introductory article. Happy reading.
Disclaimer
Though floriculture is a pan-karnataka OR pan-India industry, due to the sad state-of-affairs it is in, the problems faced by the growers are also pan-karnataka OR pan-India ones. A series of articles is being written to address the issues faced by the stakeholders of the industry, and give a step-by-step roadmap to modernize it in order to make it robust, creating millions of decently paid jobs in the rural areas. Only a thriving floriculture industry can put a “smile” back on the faces of the flower growers, and hence it is the duty of the government to make it happen one way OR the other.
Why we chose Mysuru Region?
The Mysuru region is chosen to do a pilot project there, as the region’s once thriving flower growing tradition is dying a slow death, due to various reasons. As a consequence, the growers are selling their lands at pittance and migrating to big cities to earn their living by doing odd jobs, while living in shanty slums.
We, at www.mysuruinfrahub.com , deeply feel that it needs to be stopped, and the only way to do that is to make the floriculture industry as attractive as Information Technology (IT) OR banking industry.
While piloting in the Mysuru region, we can iron out the chinks, and create a TEMPLATE to build a rich floriculture industry in the region, and replicate it all across the state.
We want a multi-billion-dollar vibrant floriculture Industry in Karnataka, up and running within a few years time, and that is our intention.
IFAB | Pic Source: ifabindia.org
Floriculture in the old Mysuru Region in Brief
Flowers Grown in the Region
Old Mysuru region is blessed with good climate to grow variety of flowers such as Mysuru mallige (Jasminum grandiflorum), Kanakambra (crossandra), Kakada (Jasminum multiform), Sevanthige (Chrysanthemum), Marigold (Marigold flower), Kolavey (Tuberose), Gulabi (rose flower), Champaka (Magnolia champaka) and so on, which are known for their unique fragrance, floral and textural beauty. Cultivation of several ornamental flowers like anthurium and gladys has been attempted in a small way.
Neither Growers NOR End Users Benefit out of Trade
Most of the flowers grown in the region are transported in bulk to major cities – Bangaluru, Chennai, Tirupathi, Mumbai, Hyderabad etc and sold to retailers across various markets in these cities. The bulk consumers buy directly from wholesalers who get their supply from middle-men OR brokers, who in turn buy from the farmers directly. The products change hands many times in between selling by the farmer and buying by the end consumer, thus jacking up the price in the process. The farmers get a pittance while end-consumers pay through their nose. Neither the farmer NOR the end-consumer benefit in this trade. It is always the middlemen who take big cuts out of trade as commissions.
Other than that, the industry uses rudimentary storage and the transportation infrastructure, and due to that over 30% of flowers get spoiled and wasted in the trade.
Growers Suffer the Most
Floriculture is not a lucrative profession for the growers because of the impediments discussed above, as the return on his investment is steadily falling because the cost of cultivation is shooting up steadily. As a result, the farmers are giving up on growing flowers, selling their lands for a pittance and migrating to big cities for survival. The floriculture suffers from the same distress as the farming, in general, suffers in India. It is really sad to see the farmers suffer.
However, there is a huge demand for flowers in the developed countries like western Europe, USA, Australia, NewZealand, Japan etc. which can be serviced at large, only if the floriculture industry is holistically developed by making use of modern technology, adapt best practices and by bringing professional management through corporatisation. However, the government has to bring in “Progressive policies” to promote trade.
IFAB | Pic Source: ifabindia.org
Floriculture Market Size
Size of Global Floriculture Industry
Floriculture deals with the cultivation of ornamental plants, flowering for pot plants, nurseries etc. The floriculture products are also used as raw materials in manufacturing of cosmetics, perfumes, and in the pharmaceutical industry all over the world. The Global Floriculture market is expected to reach USD 77.3 billion by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 8.8% during 2018 to 2026. In 2018 the market size was USD 43.23 billion.
Rise in specialized retail channels in developed countries is a factor driving the market growth.
Size of India’s Flower Export Business
As per a report published by “Agriculture & processed food products export development authority” (APEDA), Ministry of commerce & Industry, Government of India, India’s total export of flowers was Rs. 541.61 Crores/75.89 USD Millions in 2019-20. The major importing countries were U S A, Netherland, Germany, U K, and UAE . There are more than 300 export-oriented units in India. More than 50% of the floriculture units are based in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. With the technical collaborations from foreign companies, the Indian floriculture industry is poised to increase its share in world trade.
Indian Contribution to Global Floriculture Trade
Following figures throws light on the true promise that floriculture holds for India. The global demand for cut flowers, buds, and ornamental plants is over USD 43.3 billion and the approximate figures of the market share are as follows.
Netherlands – 55%
Columbia – 12%
Italy – 6%
Israel – 4%
India – 0.6%
Rest of the world – 23%
For the size of India, the figure is abysmally low and can be improved upon if there is a strong will.
Jobs
Floriculture as an Industry hasn’t made any dent in creating decently paid jobs in big numbers, as yet. Though Karnataka, being one of the two forerunners in this game, has just over 18,000 hectares under floriculture cultivation, people hardly know about the industry. In fact, Karnataka has been into the floriculture business for over 300 years. The Tigala community near Devanahalli and Chikkaballapur are extremely good at growing flowers, and they have been playing this game well. The export ventures of a few units have created some jobs, but not to its full potential. Nothing to write great about.
IFAB | Pic Source: ifabindia.org
The International Flower Auction Bangalore (IFAB)
In the 1990s Karnataka government had started flower auction services through the State-owned Karnataka Agro Industries Corporation (KAIC) in order to tap the export potential. However, the required professionalism was missing in their operations. To professionalize and streamline the operations, in the year 2003 an operating company controlled by the flower growers, took over the operations of the flower auction centre run by KAIC, which is the only organized flower auction center in India currently. The South India Floriculture Association (SIFA) has a 51 per cent stake in IFAB, while the small growers hold 16 per cent stake and the rest of the stake is held by the Karnataka government.
The presence of SIFA has helped in pump-priming the flower export business that made Bangauru, a top flower exporting center in the whole of south asia.
Floriculture as an Industry in India
The Floriculture industry in India is divided into two, the one that meets the local demand and the other that meets the global demands through exports.
There is a huge domestic demand for locally grown traditional flowers used in temples, and during all kinds of ceremonies, festivals etc. The price of flowers shoots up during festivals mostly due to inefficiencies in the supply chain, and also due to flower hoarding by the brokers/ wholesalers and others. It is them who make a killing during festivals. The small farmers who lack big bargaining power are always at the disadvantage positions, as they get pittance for the resources (labour & money) put into growing flowers.
This requires urgent reforms and “Agriculture Policy 2020” is the step in that direction.
Conclusion
The Floriculture in the Old Mysuru Region has a great potential to permanently transform our villages and the farming community into something great. The next few articles will deliberate on the steps to be taken to unleash the caged “tiger” called floriculture to bring in great strides in the economy of India in general, and Mysuru region/ Karnataka in particular.
Jubilant Generics Ltd, a subsidiary of jubilant pharma which specialises in manufacturing of Specialty Pharmaceuticals and a wide range of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) has drawn up expansion plans for their existing manufacturing facility in Nanjangud KIADB industrial area, Mysuru.
This expansion assumes greater significance considering the call for Atmanirbhar Bharat program by Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi, given that 90% of India’s API requirement is imported from China. Hence, to be self-reliant in this very critical sector there is a renewed demand for APIs’ to be manufactured in India and cut the import dependence on China. Considering the urgency, JGL had applied for Environmental clearance for their API expansion project on 27th July 2020 with the regulatory body- State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) – Karnataka.
The company cleared all statutory and regulatory requirements to obtain Environmental clearance (EC) from SEIAA – Karnataka on 5th September, 2020.
It is noteworthy to point out that JGL had undertaken a similar API expansion project in 2016-2017, raising their total annual capacity of products from 987 MTPA to the present 1395 MTPA. (Metric tons per annum)
Project brief
Jubilant Generics Ltd manufacturing facility produces a wide range of API (chemical compounds) for antidepressants, antimalarial, antifungal, antidiabetic, antihistamine, antimigraine to name a few of the many. Biggest capacity addition is proposed for Gastrointestinal disorders, Antipsychotic, Antihypertensive, Antidiabetic class of medicines. Present capacity in MTPA of products and by products is 1395 and 5631, respectively. Post expansion, total capacity of products and by products shall be 1614 and 6348 MTPA, respectively.
The proposed expansion is planned within the existing land holding of Jubilant Generics Ltd, i.e. spread over 68.65 acres (277816.69 sqm), hence there is no demand for additional land to be acquired.
Expansion project entails construction of high tech material handling and storage tanks, electrical stations, installation of machinery, waste management and other allied facilities. Structures shall be of RCC and steel in nature.
JGL shall extend their solid waste management procedures for the expansion project as well, wherein, solid hazardous wastes having incinerable characteristics will be incinerated in the incinerator/co-processing, while the non incinerable inorganic wastes will be safely stored and disposed to treatment storage and disposal facilities (TSDF). Spent solvent recovery system will be in use to recover solvents which are reusable. For the liquid effluent management, the existing zero liquid discharge system will be augmented.
Location
The existing facility of JGL is located at Plot no. 18, 56, 57-58 & Plot no.1 of KIADB Nanjangud Industrial area. The facility is next to Nestle, off NH 766. Unit 1 which is currently operational is located on Plot no. 18, 56 , 57-58 and the proposed expansion in Unit 2 shall come up on Plot no.1 which is vacant and is south of Unit 1.
Employment
Direct employment- Expansion shall generate 1000 permanent & 400 contract jobs. Indirect employment shall be in logistics which involves movement of raw materials and APIs, which is expected to add about 500 jobs. JGL has given preference to local employment and the company emphasises to continue the trend. JGL has also undertaken various CSR initiatives in the region for community development.
Mysuru has serious connectivity issues, and it is more so with air-connectivity. It is because of this she is facing serious impediments with respect to her overall economic growth. Let’s do a brief study on the potential of Mysuru, and how it can be harnessed by establishing a full-fledged airport and an integrated cargo-complex to boost her economy. Let’s start with tourism.
A short brief on Mysuru’s Tourism
The cultural city of Mysuru has been known for her royal “way-of-life” – easy and laidback. The peace loving people of the city are proud to wear their culture on their sleeve and live in harmony. It is this “way-of-life” which attracts a whole lot of outsiders to settle in Mysuru, as they too want to experience harmony in life.
Added to the enviable quality of life is the tourist attraction Mysuru offers – Royal Palaces, magnificent Temples, Flower Gardens, virgin Waterfalls, large Zoo garden, Mysuru silk sarees and the 10 days of Navratri extravaganza culminating with the royal procession on the Vijayadashami day (day of victory of truth over false, light over darkness).
There is a tremendous tourism potential, which is hardly exploited.
Brief on Mysuru’s Yoga
In addition to above said tourism attractions, who-is-who of Yoga enthusiasts across the globe descend to Mysuru to perfect their Yogic poses. Thanks to the late grand maestro Pattabhi Jois, who carved a niche for himself by creating his own brand of Yoga called “Mysore style Yoga”, which is a super hit among the people all over the world. The branding facilitated the transformation of humble Mysuru into “Yoga capital” of India, which has added to the appeal. In fact, Mysuru lists in the top 10 international yoga destination charts.
Mr. Jois made his style of Yoga so popular among the foreigners across the globe that they (including the celebrities), flocked the city in droves to learn various “moves & poses” of Yoga directly from the master himself.
In fact, the internationally reputed TIME magazine in its 2008 article, called Mysuru as “Mecca of Celebrity Yoga”. Mysuru also attracts domestic Yoga learners as well in big numbers.
Photo By: AAI Mysuru Airport
Mysuru needs a full fledged airport
Other than Tourists and Yoga aficionados, the Mysuru is known for her industrious people, who have set up businesses there. There are manufacturing/ R&D units of MNCs operating out of Mysuru, as they too want to be at a place that is fast emerging as a vibrant mini metro city, yet has a salubrious climate for their executives to live and work peacefully. People come and go out of Mysuru in big numbers for many reasons. Yet, the potential of Mysuru is not fully harnessed yet.
What is required for that is a full fledged airport with easy connectivity to all major commercial and tourist hubs of India at convenient timings. This can transform Mysuru into a prominent tourist and commercial hub among Tier 2 cities of India, thus creating a whole lot of service jobs.
Cargo potential
Mysuru region grows a variety of flowers, fruits, vegetables and other perishable crops, which need cargo handling facilities for quick airlifting for distribution across India. Similarly, pharmaceutical companies in and around Mysuru which makes very “high value” medicines, need cargo facilities to handle medicines safely. So is Defence food research laboratory (DFRL) – which creates packaged nutritious food for the armed forces, stationed at hot desert and bone freezing mountain regions. The lab needs cargo handling facilities to quickly transport their pre-cooked packaged food to these regions at the shortest possible time.
Also, DFRL is gearing up to provide “SPACE FOOD” to astronauts for all ISRO’s upcoming manned missions to space. This requires a cargo complex with state-of-the-art equipment tailor made for “space needs” at the airport.
In addition to these, in Mysuru there are companies which produce a variety of high value, low volume, delicate/ perishable goods, which need a cargo handling facility with the latest infrastructure.
Large Cargo complex with modern facilities required
To meet the burgeoning demand for handling cargo from the region, there is an urgent demand to set up a large Cargo complex of International stature – the ones often seen in Singapore, Dubai, US, Europe etc. At Least, an area as large as 100 acres should be exclusively dedicated for this purpose near the airport. The cargo complex alone can add thousands of decently paid jobs to the existing job pool, boosting the local economy. So, now we understand why the advanced countries have focused on building such complexes dotting the length and breadth of their regions.
The cargo complex at Mandakalli can be developed in phases (1st, 2nd and 3rd).
Photo by: AAI Mysuru Airport
Current situation
The present airport at mandakalli is a small one which operates under UDAAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme OR regional connectivity scheme. So, Mandakalli airport can support only turboprop aircrafts (ATR aircrafts) and is not well connected to major cities due to the fact that they (small aircrafts) can’t fly long distances at a stretch. This limits the connectivity of Mysuru with only a few destinations near her, creating a stumbling block for her growth.
Urgently increase frequency of daily flights to Bengaluru
It is noteworthy to mention here that KSRTC operates 36 seater Air conditioned buses approximately every 2 hours between KIA and Mysuru with good passenger traffic each trip, reiterating the fact that there is round the clock traffic. But on the downside, it takes nearly 3.5 hours by road, one way, which is also subject to traffic uncertainties. To have reliable service and ensure faster travel, 25 ~ 30 seater choppers or similar sized aircrafts can be deployed every two hours, from either end. By this atleast Mysuru can get connected indirectly to major commercial and tourist hubs of India through Bengaluru whilst saving travel time. This can be done without wasting much time.
This arrangement can continue till the existing airport is fully expanded.
Need daily Cargo Flights to Bengaluru
Mysuru airport should start daily cargo flights to Bangaluru on an immediate basis to help the exporters of the region. Currently lack of dedicated cargo handling capacity at the airport and exclusive cargo flights from Mysuru to Bengaluru is seriously crippling the export economy of the region. The cargo meant for airlifting goods for exports, is being routed to Bengaluru OR Mangaluru airports through trucks choking the already congested roads. No one is benefiting out of this though.
Conclusion
The need of the hour for Mysuru is a regular airport that can accommodate boeings, airbuses, jumbo jets of the world and a large international size cargo complex.
CESCOM is implementing UG Cabling in certain parts of the city (about a third of city area) which shall ensure uninterrupted power supply and provide clean aesthetics to the tourists.
CESCOM is carrying out the works in three packages, first two packages include UG Cabling works in model subdivisions while the third package includes supply and Installation of HRC fuse switch based LT feeder pillar box in model Sub Divisions of CESC, MYSURU. The total cost of the project adds to 369.45 Crore.
CESCOM has drawn up a 1000 crore future plan to cover most parts of the city. The blueprint is ready and is awaiting approval from the state government.
The Scope of the work for package 1 & 2 broadly covers Supply, Erection testing and commissioning of the following:
11kV New link lines/New feeders
Conversion of overheads by UG cables – 11 KV Feeders
Conversion of overheads by UG cables – LT (LT- Low tension)
Providing DAS compatible RMUs (DAS- Distribution automation system, RMU- Ring main unit)
LT AB Cable in Hazardous Location (AB- Aerial bunching)
Conversion of overheads by UG – Service Mains
Compact substations
Providing DAS compatible RMUs, refurbishment of existing DTC’s/providing 5 star rated distribution transformers, providing additional transformers (DTC- Distribution transformer controller)
Current Status
The project is lagging behind schedule due to covid pandemic and poor coordination among the facilitating agencies as the work involves some degree of road cutting. To minimise the extent of road cutting, the contractors have deployed modern boring machines which spatially cut through beneath without affecting the above road crust structurally or hindering the live traffic.
Advantages of UG cabling
Ensure uninterrupted quality power supply by eliminating outages caused by winds, rain or falling trees
Eliminate economic loss caused to local businesses in CBD due to outages
Safe and secure way of transmission
Elimination of power theft
Removal of redundant electric poles will enhance the aesthetics of city making it more photogenic to the visitors. However, it is to be noted that removal of such poles post the commissioning of underground power supply by CESCOM is MCC’s responsibility.
Chief Administrative Officer, Construction, SWR has called for Conducting Final Location Survey for the construction of 87 kilometres New Broad Gauge Mysuru-Kushalnagar Railway Line. The railway line was sanctioned on 27-02-2019 by the Ministry of Railways, for 1854.62 Crore.
With the above tender call, the pursuit to link Kodagu and Mysuru district with a Broad Gauge railway line just got a very significant boost. A final location survey is the first important step that is carried out during detailing of any Greenfield railway project. It is in this survey where multidisciplinary investigations like topographical, geotechnical, hydrological etc. are taken up and the consolidated data is used to finalise route alignment, identify land usages and also develop a blueprint of geotechnical, structural, architectural, MEP and other designs all in conjunction with each other.
Tender
A final location survey is divided into 2 schedules namely Unified Standard Schedule Of Rates (USSOR) items and Survey items. Department cost of the work is 1.62 crore with a completion period of 9 months. To have a brief understanding of the scope of work, only major items are summarised below.
USSOR Items- Schedule 1: Soil investigation –It deals with the geotechnical survey. It involves drilling of 150 MM dia boreholes to a depth of 20 M in soft ground and drilling of 75 MM dia boreholes to a depth of 20 M in hard strata (rocky conditions). The excavated earth material is collected as undisturbed and disturbed samples. The samples are subjected to various laboratory tests like Tri-axial, Unconfined compression, Direct shear to derive engineering properties of the ground. These properties of ground are used in designing foundations for superstructures like major and minor bridges, stations, culverts, slope stability of cuts, the stability of tracks, and necessary ground improvement among others. One may now realise the importance of such an exercise.
Survey Items-Schedule 2: Aerial survey- It involves conducting Photogrammetric survey using satellite imagery data (CARTOS set or similar), Aerial Topographical Survey using DGPS based integrated Drone and LiDAR System and Drone-based aerial survey. With this survey data various macroscopic features like rivers, streams, farmlands, hills, highways, obligatory points etc. can be understood well for the development of the route. Hydrological investigations for proposed bridges along the route are to be carried out using a digital elevation model, which helps in understanding high flood levels. Alignment and Track engineering- it includes Design of best-fit alignment and development of alignment drawings showing all track design features. Structural engineering – involves the design and general arrangement drawings of proposed Bridges, subways, culverts, station buildings, yard etc. along with relevant Architectural and MEP drawings. Preparation of Detailed Works Programme, showcasing a complete sequence of construction activities, step by step, with their target completion dates and required resources.
MP Pratap Simha’s passion driving the Train
Mysuru-Kodagu Member of parliament Shri Pratap Simha relentlessly followed up with the Ministry of Railways to get the Mysuru-Kushalnagar Railway Line project moving. He was successful in getting the project listed in the pink book 2018-2019. He has also petitioned the State Government to incur a portion of the cost and expedite land acquisition for the project.
New Railway Line between Mysuru and Kushalnagar(87 Kms) APPROVED! Total cost 1854 crores. Thank u @PiyushGoyal ji n thank u all. pic.twitter.com/foXhMBSeei
The railway line shall open up enormous opportunities to the traders surrounding Kushalnagar, and Hunsur regions who grow high-quality tobacco and manufacture quality rosewood furniture. Tourism would see a major fillip in the region with this railway line getting integrated with India’s rail network.
Representational Pic | Photo by the press service of the President of Tajikistan
NHAI engineers have finally zeroed in onto a three-tier grade separator/Interchange at the junction of Mysuru-Bengaluru NH-275 and ORR NH-275K. This comes after initially proposing a cloverleaf separator which proved to be cost-prohibitive considering the land acquisition involved which had to be replaced with a more compact, as efficient and economical design in the form of a three-tier separator. It is noteworthy to mention that the cloverleaf proposal was already sent to the center for approval and subsequent land acquisition. The cloverleaf structure is estimated to cost over 450 crores as against the 200 crores in the present form, nearly halving the cost.
With the Mysuru-Bengaluru 10 lane works almost achieving 50% of the key milestones, Mysuru MP Shri Pratap Simha recently (September 2020) held a meeting with the NHAI officials to take stock of the progress and directed them to expedite the process of grade separator works.
Project Concept
The three-tier separator/Interchange comprises of an Underpass, an at-Grade suspended roundabout and a Flyover.
Underpass: 2 x 10.9 M main carriageway to be built along NH275K- Outer ring road, providing uninterrupted bidirectional flow. This will form the lowest tier.
At-grade roundabout: This shall facilitate cross over of traffic between service lanes of ORR and NH 275.
Flyover: A 6 lane flyover will cater to the NH 275 Mysuru-Bengaluru highway traffic directly entering/exiting the city.
Mysuru City Corporation invites bid for cycle track works
About the Challenge
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has initiated Cycles4Change challenge to promote personalised, safe, healthy and eco-friendly mode of transportation due to the challenges posed by Covid 19 pandemic.
The main idea behind the challenge is to inspire cities to promote cycling by involving City Corporation, citizens and urban experts to develop a blueprint to be implemented across the city.
A special message from Shri Hardeep Singh Puri @HardeepSPuri , Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the @MoHUA_India.
Smart cities mission under MoHUA is leading the drive along with the India Chapter of Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) as its knowledge partner. As per the recent survey conducted by ITDP, cycling is expected to set to rise by 50-60% as the cities start to unlock themselves. MoHUA feels cycling can be promoted as an alternative sustainable mode of transportation in Indian cities. A total of 140 cities are eligible for the challenge that includes cities under smart cities mission, state capitals and towns with population > 5 lakh.
The online challenge portal was launched by Smart cities mission on July 10th 2020, which was followed by a brain storming session attended by city commissioners, experts, citizen groups and officials.
Cycles4Change challenge will be in two stages and spread over a year (July 20-May 21)
Stage 1: Pilot Intervention and Conceptual Scale-up Plan
In this stage, the participating cities should implement pilot interventions focussing on making cycling safe while also encouraging more public to take up cycling as an alternative mode of mobility. The pilot interventions may include development of cycling lanes, introduction of speed regulated traffic zones, cycle rentals, cycle parking, repair shops etc. Conceptual plan should be devised with due consultation and inputs from public and city level experts.
— ಮೈಸೂರು ಮಹಾನಗರ ಪಾಲಿಕೆ Mysuru City Corporation (@mysurucitycorp) August 22, 2020
By the end of stage 1, cities should have successfully developed their conceptual scale-up plan along with the funding needs. Interventions implemented before July 2020 are not considered for the challenge, however, the cities can add on to their existing cycling infra as a part of the challenge. It is noteworthy to mention that Mysuru has a well-connected active public bicycle sharing system (Trin –Trin) already, necessitating Mysuru to add new cycling interventions as a part of its conceptual scale-up plan for the challenge.
Stage 2: Enhancing Pilot Interventions
The submitted conceptual plans will be evaluated and 11 cities will be shortlisted. As a token gesture, each city will receive 1 crore funding. In stage 2, the shortlisted Conceptual scale-up plans will be enhanced with technical inputs and guidance from urban experts and the same shall be implemented in the respective cities.
Mysuru- A Cycling Friendly City
Mysuru was among the first cities in India to implement a public bicycle sharing system with 52 docking stations, covering major areas of the city including the tourist spots. The project named Trin-Trin has seen resounding success with 10000s of people already registering with smart cards. With respect to cycling ecosystem, Mysuru stands ahead of many cities in India, thanks to its wide tree lined roads, friendly weather and law abiding citizens.
Tender
Participating in the India Cycles4Change Challenge, MCC has invited bids for marking out cycling lanes on major roads in the city as a part of its pilot interventions and conceptual-scale up plan.
The work entails, setting up of Flexible tubular cone road vertical delineators, road studs and road marking. The total estimated cost of the work is 478 lakh Rupees. Period of completion is 1 month from the date of award of work.
Railway Board has given the go-ahead to the South Western Railways proposal of extending passenger trains 56265/56266 Arsikere – Mysuru and 56263/56264 KSR Bengaluru – Mysuru to Nanjangud Town which goes by the name Night Queen Passenger in the commuters circle.
The move will benefit people of Mysuru-Hassan-Arsikere and Mysuru-Bengaluru sections as it provides direct connectivity to the famous Nanjundeshwara Temple, popularly known as Dakshina Kashi, which is located centrally in Nanjangud town. Extension of both these trains shall aid in decongesting the busy Mysuru railway station.
Both the trains will have commercial stoppages at Chamarajapuram, Ashokapuram, Kadakola, Tandavapura and Sujthapuram railway stations.
Proposed timings on the extended portion
The 56265/56266 Arsikere – Mysuru passenger will leave from Mysuru Railway Station at 9.35 pm and reach Nanjangud Railway Station at 10.20 pm. In return, the train will leave Nanjangud Railway Station at 5.35 am and reach Mysuru Railway station at 6.15 am.
The other train 56263/56264 KSR Bengaluru – Mysuru passenger will leave from Mysuru Railway Station at 4.30 am and reach Nanjangud Railway Station at 5.15 am. In return, the train will leave the Nanjangud Railway Station at 10.40 pm and reach Mysuru Railway station at 11.25 pm.
The extension of these trains will come into effect from the new time table as per railway board order.
In a first, Mysuru Workshop’s Wheel Shop Manufactures 160 KMPH fit MEMU Motor Coach Wheel Set
Earlier, Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) had sought Mysuru Workshop to manufacture the 900 Trailer Coaches Wheel sets for 225 Trailer Coach Cars and 300 Motor Coach Wheel Set for 75 Motor Coach Cars. BEML is manufacturing MEMU coaches for 8 car formation with Bombardier Propulsion System to ply between Ghaziabad and Delhi region. All the required Material including drill bits are to be supplied by BEML at their cost. The work consists of machining and pressing of wheel and Axle Assy.
PIC Credits: South Western Railway
Wheel Shop of Mysuru Workshop has successfully manufactured High speed MEMU motor coach wheel set that is fit to run at a speed of 160 kmph. This wheel manufacturing is under taken for the first time in Indian Railway workshop against M/s Bombardiar quality plan. M/S Bombardier Transportations use these type of Motor Suspension Unit (MSU) Assemblies for Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) rakes in India.
The first batch of 6 wheel sets is ready for BEML under deposit work of Rs.2.4 Crs. 188 Trailer Coach wheels and 52 Motor Coach wheels have so far been manufactured.
Shri Ajay Kumar Singh, GM/SWR commended the work of Mysuru Works shop and said that this is a big achievement as wheels were being manufactured in Rail Wheel factories usually, claimed SWR press release.
Mysuru has traditionally been the land of creative thinkers, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, storytellers, singers, so on and so forth, as the royal city saw tremendous encouragement and patronage offered by the kings of the time. However with the end of monarchy and the birth of democracy, this support receded over time, but whatever fire (the fire to do things in life) that was “lit” by the kings continued to burn in the bellies Mysureans.
The Humble Beginning
By 1970s & 1980s Mysureans started many businesses which flourished to a great extent and one among them was Electronic business – making of simple components like transistors, capacitors, resistors, signal amplifiers, voltage transformers etc.
From that they moved up the value chain in the 1990s by getting into electronic sub-system design, printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication and assembly of the various components (locally sourced & imported) on PCBs, based on the need of their clients.
Remarkable Growth
The first decade of 2000 saw the Mysuru companies becoming Tier 1/ 2/ 3 suppliers for some of the major electronic device manufacturers of the world.
By the second decade of 2000, they got into the complex design and manufacturing of state-of-the-art electronic instruments in the defence, medical electronics, power electronics sectors.
Thus started the humble beginning of the Mysuru companies’ long march towards excellence in the ESDM sphere.
Current Situation
Currently many Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) based out of Mysuru have transformed her from a sleepy tourist city into an ESDM hub for designing and manufacturing of simple to medium level complex electronic systems. The city also houses companies which are into developing Firmware – it is a software written to drive devices (or device components) such as a video card, sound card, disk drive and even the motherboard. In many companies there are inhouse teams to develop Real time Operating system (RTO) and system level programming software to make hardware work the way they are intended to.
A few companies have gained expertise in developing multi layered complex PCBs and assembly of components, conducting end-to-end simulated testing, box-building etc.
Some even offer outsourced design and manufacturing services – from basic design, to developing proof-of-concept, from detailed engineering to full-fledge development of the product altogether. Some have so much in-house expertise that they got patents for their original designs.
Statistics
By 2020, there are more than 150 small, medium and large enterprises (SMLE) in and around Mysuru with a medium to high-level technical maturity to design, manufacture and test complex electronic systems. Their combined revenue is about Rs. 1700 Crores giving employment to over 6000 people (women included).
Government of India has recognized and appreciated the efforts put by these daring SMLE founders, and collaborated with the Karnataka government to set up LAHARI – an advanced component level testing and employee “skill-building” facility with state-of-the-art equipments, in order to boost the local electronic manufacturing and exports, and to make the local electronic industry mature enough to compete globally.
Wishlist
The local entrepreneurs, having bitten the success, are not content with what they have accomplished so far. Rather they are aiming for stars now. They want to be as successful as their peers from China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, and are working towards that. Their wish list includes following
Electronic Cluster: To build an ecosystem with over 2000 tiny, small, medium and large enterprises (SMLE) including MNCs – SAMSUNG, THALES, SIEMENS etc.
Domain Expertise: in providing end-to-end solutions including advanced level design, development, prototyping, mass manufacturing and testing for
Avionics (commercial and fighter jets)
Defence (Radars, battle communication systems & others)
Medical electronics – Diagnostics, clinical, life support systems & others
Consumer electronics – All kinds of electronics – mobile phones, tabs, laptops
Railways & Aerospace – All kinds of signalling systems
Outer space – All kinds of instruments which get into satellites, controlling stations.
Technical Maturity of the Ecosystem:
To achieve 9 out of 10 on a scale of 0 to 10.
SEZ: Establishment of an SEZ with a turnover of Rs. 15,000 Crores employing 100,000 people on a 250 acres land near Mandakalli airport.
35 Crore Rail Over Bridge for hassle free movement
Long queues and chaos, a common sight at the Sujathapura railway level crossing will soon be a thing of the past with the proposed Rail Over Bridge (ROB). Increased railway movement has led to severe interruption of vehicular traffic on NH 150A multiple times during the day, especially, affecting the movement of heavy cargo trailers catering to various Industries in the vicinity. Wait gets as long as 15 minutes that often leads to traffic jams. Finally, commuters long-pending demand for a solution has been met with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) calling a civil tender for the construction of 4 lane ROB and its approaches in lieu of existing Level Crossing No 18 at Km 620 600 on NH 150A at Sujathapuram railway crossing in Nanjangud.
Project Technical Brief
Proposed Superstructure
Superstructure shall comprise of Structural steel girder with RCC deck slab for railway span and precast prestressed concrete girder with RCC deck for viaduct spans. The vertical clearance from Rail top level to the soffit of the steel girder shall be 6.763 M. The superstructure span has a structural skew angle of 20 degrees.
Project Status
The total land required for the project is 8 hectares, of which 6.756 hectares of land needs to be acquired. Land acquisition is progressing with some survey sites listed in 3D Notification while others are in 3A Notification.
A total of 6 bidders submitted their financial quotes and a Hyderabad based firm NSPR Constructions Pvt Ltd has emerged as the lowest bidder L1 with a financial quote of 36.53 crores. The L2 bidder is Krishi Infratech at 37.1 crores. The work shall start as soon as the land is acquired, financial bids are evaluated and the AOC letter is signed.
A Strategic Initiative to boost the Regional Economy
The princely city of Mysuru with salubrious climate, tree-hugging leafy roads, beautiful parks, well laid-out residential areas and commercial hubs dotted with sweetmeat stalls selling mouth-watering “Mysuru Pak”, was once the headquarters of the erstwhile Mysuru kings. With bountiful water flowing in the regional rivers and a network of dams constructed at strategic locations to harness it, the region led by Mysuru went on to become self-sufficient in agricultural production. The city became known for her industrious people who went on to start many business- ventures under the tutelage of the kings of Mysuru. The kings themselves established learning & research centres, power generation units, industries, transportation networks etc. Collectively, the region became prosperous and relatively wealthy, thus attracting a lot of people from outside.
After the end of Kingdom and transfer of administrative power to the Karnataka government, there has been a steady rise in the number of people establishing manufacturing units in the region. In reality, Mysuru spearheaded this activity by attracting major units, thus becoming a hub in many domains – Tyres, Automotive, Electronics, Food, Tourism, IT, paints, pharmaceuticals & fine chemicals to say the least. Over time, some of the industries in the region got adventurous and started exporting their products to global buyers. Looking at their success, some more jumped on to the bandwagon. That’s when they hit the speed bumps hard – the infrastructural bottlenecks. Also, with too many approvals to be obtained from various government departments and cumbersome procedures, high taxation, the export business became no more profitable as it once used to be.
The Transformational 1991 Reforms
The 1991 reforms unleashed the “animal spirits” in the Indian economic domain. Many policies were given a big push to ease the doing business in India. One among them is the corporatisation of the logistics industry, which ushered in reforms in the logistics industry, whose byproduct is the establishment of Multimodal logistics parks (MMLP), Inland container depots (ICD), containerised goods transportation, development of ports, highways, the introduction of freight carrier network throughout India and many others.
Representational Pic / Pic Credits: Container Corporation of India
Mysuru got MMLP/ ICD
The manufacturers of various products in the Mysuru region are into exports big time. Companies like JKTyres, Asian Paints, Automotive axles, Nestle, Carlsberg, AT&S and others in the region export goods worth several crores rupees every year. Many more SMEs are also into export business. However, they all are facing serious infrastructure shortcomings, because of which, it is making their exports expensive and time-consuming.
Their only wish is to have a well equipped, modern MMLP/ ICD in the region itself to grease their export business. Their unilateral choice of location is Mysuru and appealed to the government to establish one there. To their surprise, the government gave its consent. This resulted in Mysuru getting MMLP, being built by Container Corporation of India (Concor) – a government of India enterprise, at the industrial town Kadakola, near Nanjangud.
The MMLP/ ICD at Kadakola has a separate goods train terminal and a rail line to ship goods in-and-out of MMLP. This will make the project more alluring to the exporters. The containerised goods transportation on rails is “the trend” in the 21st century, as it can significantly slash down the cost of goods transportation while ensuring less traffic-congestion on roads, thus making it environment friendly, which is good for export business.
Also, the union government is planning a Chennai ~ Bangaluru ~ Goa ~ Mumbai multi-billion-dollar Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) for transporting goods all over India in containers on rails. The railway line connectivity to MMLP/ ICD yard at Kadakola can be seen as an extension of DFC, which has the potential of changing the face of Mysuru region for the better.
This is because the companies in the region can become a part of the global “supply chain”. Being on the supply-chain network in itself is a major “plus-point”, as they can supply goods to the manufacturers across the globe at competitive costs, and that too on time.
A Manufacturing Powerhouse in the Making
For any region to become a hub for manufacturing, the key is to have “world-class” logistical infrastructure. The exporters of the Mysuru region lacked it so far. With the establishment of MMLP/ ICD at Kadakola, this infrastructure gap will be filled, and the region will witness a spike in the export activity. More exports means more economic activity which means more regional prosperity. This will also trigger an increased investment flow from MNCs into the region, thus creating a whole lot of decently paid JOBS locally.
Local Logistics Industry will bloom like never before
The Mysuru region comprises the districts of Mysuru, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Mandya, Coorg, Chamrajanagar, Shimoga etc grow a lot of horticulture and agriculture produce along with industrial products, which can easily be distributed within India and abroad using the MMLP/ICD at Kadakola. The well connected goods transportation network from Kadakola to the major hubs within India through railways, will result in the booming logistics industry in the region.
Consistent efforts yield good results :
Indian Railways loads two-wheelers from Kadakola in Karnataka to Changsari in Assam. Total distance is close to 3,000 kms.
The Presence of MMLP/ ICD in the Mysuru region is a sure shot success for the economy of the region. With this, prosperity will eventually embrace the region and bring in the much needed peace and tranquility.
NH 275K: Mysuru Outer Ring Road (ORR) is all set for a makeover with major and minor works planned in the upgradation programme initiated by MoRTH. This comes close on the heels of Mysuru MP Shri Pratap Simha getting the ORR transferred from MUDA to NHAI to ensure its periodic maintenance and repair. In the first phase, MP has devised a 140 crore plan for immediate strengthening of ORR which shall address the deteriorating quality and bring it on par with MoRTH standards. In subsequent phases, other critical works like widening of railway underpasses shall be taken up. ORR is now officially nomenclated as National Highway 275K.
Project Overview
Strengthening works are to be taken up in two packages under EPC mode, between Chainage 0-10 KM and Chainage 10-41.535 KM, covering the western and eastern arc between Mysuru-Bengaluru NH275-ORR & Hinkal junctions, respectively.
Mysuru Outer Ring Road / NH 275K
The scope of work shall broadly include-
Strengthening of existing carriageway (2 X 10.9 M wide main carriageway & 5.5 M wide service road on either side) 65 MM DBM + 40 MM BC and 50 MM DBM + 30 MM BC shall be laid over the existing crust of the main carriageway and service road respectively. (DCM- Dense Bituminous Macadam, BC- Bituminous Concrete)
Construction of service road (2 X 7.0 M wide) from 16.49 to 25.82 KM. Service lanes on either side are to be constructed between Bannur to Nanjangud road junction.
Widening over existing 2 VUP at 25.27 & 25.48 KM. To make provision for service lanes across twin APMC underpasses, widening works shall be taken up at the VUP locations.
Construction of RCC drains alongside the service roads to be constructed from 16.49 to 25.82 KM.
Construction of retaining wall from 16.49 to 25.82 KM in stretches for a length of 2.17 KM.
Road furniture shall be taken up to provide benches along the ORR.
Median shall have plantations that are permitted by NHAI and the same will be maintained for a period of 1 year by the contractor.
Project Status
Package 1: CH: 0- 10 KM
A total of 9 bidders vied for the work, of which 7 bidders qualified for financial evaluation stage. RMN Infrastructures Ltd. emerged as the L1 bidder with a bid value of 11.366 Crore. As per MP Pratap Simha, the work shall begin post monsoon.
Work order was issued long ago, waiting for the rain to stop to start the work.
This package is currently under tendering. It has received a tremendous response with 29 bids placed, all of which shall undergo technical evaluation as the next step.
Follow us to stay updated with the latest moves regarding ORR upgradation.
A sneak peek into the world of trillion dollar plus ESDM industry
The Electronics System design and Manufacturing (ESDM), representing the electronics industry, encompases system designing and Manufacturing of simple to complex electronic devices/ instruments such as mobile phones, laptops, computers, music players, cameras, defence and medical electronics, avionics and space electronic systems. If we consider making, distributing and selling electronic products, it’s over a trillion $$ industry, growing at a fast clip.
Over the years, the electronics industry has transformed factories, offices, and brought sea-change in the segments like home-entertainment, personal-communication, health-care, aviation, public transportation, personal mobility, thus emerging as a key economic sector that is rivaling the chemical, steel, and auto industries in size in the developed countries. It was not so just a few decades ago. Back in the early 60s and 70s, electronics was a novel industry which was in the hands of scientists, economists, staticians or academic nerds. It’s not so anymore, as it (electronics) has come down to the hands of children in the form of toys to play, such a stature ubiquitous it’s become.
The beginning
The industry traces its origins to the invention of the two-element electron tube (1904) by John Ambrose Flemming, and the three-element tube (1906) by Lee De Forest. These inventions led to the development of commercial radio in the 1920s, which boosted radio sales to $300 million by the end of the decade in the USA. In 1947, the electronics industry made another important advance when John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley invented the transistor. Smaller, lighter, and more durable than the vacuum tubes that had been used in radios, transistors touched off a period of progressive miniaturization of electronic devices. Integrated circuits, which were developed in the 1950s, allowed the integration of several circuits into one circuit, and the introduction of analog devices in the 1960s vastly increased the amount of information that could be stored on a single silicon chip.
Giant leap forward in innovation
The 1970s saw great advances made in laser, optical electronics, digital and Microwave electronics.
The innovation in the field of electronics have also played a key role in the development of space technology and satellite communications; inaugurated a revolution in the computer industry that led to the introduction of the personal computer; resulted in the introduction of computer-guided robots in factories; storage systems for storing and transmitting data electronically; greatly expanded the market for popular music and culture; and, in the process, transformed life at home, the office, and the factory. Many of these innovations, such as the transistor, had their origins in military research, which needed increasingly complex electronic devices for modern high-tech warfare.
Japanese onslaught
In the 1970s & 1980s, the U.S. consumer electronics industry went into decline as manufacturers were unable to compete with the quality and pricing of foreign products, especially the electronic goods produced by Japanese companies such as Sony and Hitachi. By the 1980s, however, U.S. manufacturers became the world leaders in semiconductor development and assembly. In the 1990s semiconductors were essential components of personal computers and most other electronic items (including cellular telephones, televisions, medical equipment, and smart appliances). While U.S. companies are still a major presence in the semiconductor industry (representing about 40% of world sales in 1998), the consumer items themselves are mostly made overseas. Worldwide electronic sales were nearly $700 billion in 1997.
The coming of Internet age
The 1990s saw the arrival of the world wide web (www) aka inter-connected world. What started as an experimental academic project in the US universities quickly spread outside campuses and got commercialized. Organizations started exploiting it for commercial purposes by the mid 90s. By the end of 1990s most of the MNCs were on the Internet doing business with their clients, partners, vendors and contractors online.
With more advancement in technology, the cost of connecting to the internet got so low that common man could hop on to the Internet. The computer electronics Czars didn’t rest on their accomplishments, they continued doing cutting-edge research to bring out slimmer and more powerful computers at most affordable cost. This enabled the common man getting hooked on to the Internet using his computers and with the spread of reasonably priced broadband networks all across the globe, people from smaller cities, rural counties joined the Internet bandwagon.
Electronics and Internet became a part of life
By the first decade of the 21st century, the world saw many many different kinds of personal electronics-devices like smartphones, tablets, smart watches, digital music rendering devices etc, using which people across the world could virtually stay connected 24×7, though physically separated far and wide.
World suddenly became one big village and the people became one big extended family. However, with the advent of 5G, the world’s embrace of technology will become even tighter, as billions of smart devices talk to each other to resolve the human issues on their own, thus making life simpler and easier.
All these things are being accomplished through ELECTRONIC DEVICES, which are at the CENTER of everything.
Conclusion
No doubt the ESDM industry, where electronic devices are conceptualised, designed, manufactured, distributed and sold across the world, became a gigantic industry that, by 2030s, has the potential of dwarfing most other industries hands down.
However, the world has to quickly find out ways HOLISTIC SOLUTIONS to recycle/ re-process/ re-use the used electronics. Unless it is done, used/ discarded electronics will pose a serious ecological disaster, which may endanger life itself on the planet earth.
Mysuru currently produces nearly 450 MT (metric tons) of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) per day. Current handling capacity stands at 245 TPD (Tons per day), which includes 45 MT from the 9 Zero waste management plants, each of 5 TPD, and a 150-200 MT Vidyaranyapuram composting plant. With the daily waste production far exceeding the handling capacity, there is a pile-up of 205 TPD of MSW at dump yards located in the vicinity of residential areas. The pile-up is causing severe environmental issues like air & groundwater pollution. By 2030 Mysuru is projected to produce 800 TPD of MSW.
To address the immediate capacity shortfall of 205 TPD, MCC has proposed to develop two MSW management plants with a combined processing capacity of 350 TPD. The two plants are to come up at Rayanakere and Kesare, each with 150 & 200 TPD capacities respectively.
Kesare and Rayanakere MSW plants require 25 & 7 acres of land respectively. Kesare MSW will come up next to the existing Kesare STP near Mysuru-Bengaluru NH 275-ORR junction. Likewise, Rayanakere MSW is planned next to Rayanakere STP unit close to HD Kote road. Both the projects shall come up on government-owned land.
Construction of MSW treatment facility at Rayanakere & Kesare (with disposal facility) by @mysurucitycorp has received environmental clearance. Rayanakere would entail 14 crore investment & Kesare around 24 crore. Environmental clearance obtained on April 2 2018. #Mysore#Mysuru
— Mysuru Infrastructure (@Mysuru_Infra) April 7, 2018
Environmental clearance was obtained from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority in April 2018.
Member of Parliament Shri Pratap Simha had earmarked 54 crores under Swachh Bharat Mission for early realisation of the projects in 2017.
#Solid waste management plants at Rayanakere 150 tons & Kesare 200 tons,54 cr funds under swacchh Bharat mission by GOI. #Mysuru@mepratap
Going forward, MCC has invited bids for Comprehensive development of 200 TPD Solid Waste Management Plant in Kesare & 150 TPD SWM in Rayankere at an estimated cost of 11.32 crore & 9.7 crores respectively. Tendering process is currently underway.
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In a major boost to the railway infrastructure in the Mysuru – Chamarajanagar region, The Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE), has called tender for “Design, Supply, Erection, Testing and Commissioning of 25kV, 50 Hz, Single Phase, AC Electrification Works including OHE & TSS as Composite Electrical Work” in Mysuru(Excl)- Chamarajanagar(Incl) section Gr. 297 of Mysuru division of SWR.
The estimated cost of the work is Rs. 18.89 Crore, with a completion period of 12 months from the date of award of work. The electrification work is to be carried out for a total of 61 Running KM/ 71 Total KM.
Chamarajanagar Railway Station
Mysuru (MYS)-Chamarajanagar (CMNR) railway line connects industrial areas of Kadakola, Sujathapuram, Nanjangud & Badanaguppe on the way, having good passenger movement. With the completion of electrification works, Mysuru – Chamarajanagar line will get integrated with the already commissioned Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai electric mainline, thereby, enabling the introduction of MEMU trains on the CMNR-SBC section in future and ensuring punctuality due to their reliability and better performance.
The electrification work assumes greater significance in the light of the upcoming Inland Container depot by CONCOR at Kadakola, which will benefit movement of cargo with better energy efficiency, zero emissions and lower operating costs. Also, electric locomotives are more powerful and responsive than their diesel counterparts for heavy cargo movement.
Worldwide enterprises (SMEs and Large) are betting increasingly on cross- border trades and are seeking cost-effective solutions. They manufacture in places where the making cost is low and sell in places where the selling price is high. As a result of this, they make huge profits due to high margins.
Apple is an excellent example of this. Apple makes most of its products – laptops, iPhones, IPads at the Foxconn and Pegatron facilities in China and Taiwan. However, the electronic parts, which go inside these products, are sourced from various countries across the globe. The assembly happens on a massive scale at the Chinese and Taiwanese factories and shipped for sale across the world.
China, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and others are considered to be low-cost centres for mass manufacturing.
Uninterrupted power supply, expressways, modern railway networks, containerized transportation, large warehouses, well-equipped ports, speedy customs clearance are all the hallmarks of 21st-century manufacturing.
However, modern-day manufacturing is heavily banking on real-time OR just-in-time logistics, where components arrive at the time of assembly, get assembled and go out as the finished products within the shortest possible time. Nevertheless, the multimodal goods storage and containerized transhipment form the backbone of Just-in-time logistics, which in itself is a subset of the logistics industry with a turnover running into trillions of dollars.
Outsourced logistics
Organizations don’t want to spend money on building and storing the products in their warehouses; rather they outsource the storage to the third party Multimodal logistic parks (MMLP) operators. A typical MMLP service provider offers the following –
Freight transportation, warehousing, packaging & inventory control, order processing, and marketing, demand forecasting and other value added services.
MMLP is the refined form of Logistics Park where various value added services are rendered in addition to containerised rail/road based transportation. It is now-a-days identified globally as the latest trend in supply management and known by different names in different countries. Government is building MMLP/ ICDs at various strategic locations all along the railway network. This is giving a fillip to the local business and to the economy.
MMLP can handle all kinds of goods (raw, semi-finished, finished) including food products and other value added services mentioned above. Organizations can retain with them core functions such as R&D & product improvements, HR, manufacturing and customer support. The rest can be outsourced to MMLP/ICD management in the vicinity. This way, they (organizations) can remain slim and fit, ever-ready to cash-in-on the emerging opportunities.
All products at MMLP are barcoded for easy identification and electronic processing. The goods can be re-packaged by professionals using the latest equipment and transported in barcoded containers through multi-axle goods trains and trucks to the port.
The integrated MMLP complex will have Inland container depots (ICD) for parking the ready-to-ship containers. These complexes will also have government agencies for speedy security clearance and getting governmental nods for exports, thus making the life of an exporter that much easier. For importers, the complex houses the facility for scanning the imported goods and giving customs clearance.
To put it in simple terms, an MMLP/ ICD offers following benefits
Excellent transport links of rail and road
Custom clearance facilities
Provide round-the-clock services
One window services
Enhanced security systems
Availability of more options to the users
Value added services
Europe, the USA, Australia and Far-east Asia have a highly evolved logistics industry. More matured and state-of-the-art the logistics industry is, the less is the cost incurred in the transportation and distribution of goods.
HUB and SPOKE – A Brief Introduction
Hub & Spoke
The Hub
The logistics industry is driven by the HUB & SPOKE mechanism. The HUB is a place that is well connected through rail and road networks to the rest of the region and to major ports. The HUB has in its vicinity various manufacturing companies producing many products. The goods handled by the HUB are not limited to manufactured products, but also includes agricultural, horticultural, poultry, dairy items etc. sourced and packaged to be exported across the globe.
The goods are easily transported through barcoded containers to the ports and shipped across the globe.
SPOKEs
For internal consumption, the goods are sent in barcoded containers to SPOKES spread across various regions, to be stored in the warehouses owned by distribution companies. These distribution companies have many stockists in various cities, who will distribute goods to numerous mom-and-pop stores, super retailers, markets etc. From there, the goods will eventually reach consumers through delivery agencies. Transportation, storage and distribution of goods look so professional and clean with the “HUB & SPOKE” concept. Since it is layered, it is easy to track the goods in transit with mobile Apps.
Conclusion
Since the logistics industry in India is at infancy as of now, the HUB & SPOKE mechanism is not fully evolved yet. It is evolved in bits and pieces that too in a few developed regions of India. Because of this, we still see goods transported, stored and distributed in an unorganised way in most places. However, the government is determined to change this at all costs with the introduction of “National logistics policy – 2020″ in which the logistics sector is given an “Industry” status. Through this the government plans to give Banks much required freedom to sanction “long-term-loans” to the logistics companies.
With this, the future of India’s logistics sector looks bright and is going to be a sunrise sector like Information Technology (IT) in the near future.
