Power cuts hit Coimbatore MSMEs

The micro and small scale industry in the state has once again taken a hit as severe power cuts for five to six hours a day are affecting their daily production.

J James, district president, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises (TACT), said the power cuts without prior intimation had affected almost 60 per cent of the Rs 100-150-crore production of micro and small units in Coimbatore.

"Most of the job works are for components for major industries, which require precision of products to keep the quality. Abrupt power outages often lead to damage of the tools we manufacture," he said.

The customer either rejects the component seeking compensation for the damage or asks to compensate with fresh components, which the job worker has to produce for free, he said.

There are around 25,000 micro and small units in Coimbatore, doing job works for various sectors including automobiles and defence or sectors such as pumpsets manufacturers. The industry suspects much harder days during April and May.