Smaller enterprises in Rajkot hit by lack of management skills

Small and medium enterprises of Rajkot are facing trouble in dealing with major national and international clients, since most of them lack the requisite management skills.

Rajkot is a key engineering hub of Gujarat and an important centre for the foundry, auto components and machine tool industries.

The turnover of Rajkot-based engineering industries is more than Rs 50,000 crores per year.

“Rajkot mostly has family-owned businesses and all have traditional management systems. They lack the professional touch and, as a result, their growth has been affected”, said Deepak Sachde, president of the Rajkot Management Association (RMA).

RMA recently organised an awareness seminar on the development of management skills in SMEs.

Sachde said, “Most SMEs don’t have their own marketing channels, and fail to win deals with national and international companies.”

“Rajkot industries survive on demand and cost competitiveness. But the growth of Rajkot SMEs is poor compared to other industrial zones. If they want to grow, they must give up traditional ways of managing”, said Azaz Motiwala, chairman and managing director, IKON Marketing Consultants.