SIPPO launches 2 new products

The Madurai-headquartered Small Industries Product Promotion Organisation (SIPPO) has assisted in developing two new products -- Swamimalai temple icons and handmade floor tiles -- in Sivagangai district of Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu.

The handmade floor tiles produced from paddy husk has a good market in the district with about 40 persons engaged in its manufacture. These products are developed under SIPPO's skill upgradation programme, organisation's programme officer R Krishnan told Business Standard on Friday.

A public limited company, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) of the Government of India and the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation (Tansidco) have equity stakes in SIPPO and was set up by enthusiastic entrepreneurs.

It focuses on the development and promotion of small scale, agro, rural and village industries. It assists in technology transfer, project consultancy, skill upgradation, quality improvement and packaging through its common marketing approach.

In two decades SIPPO has set up 30-35 clusters for SSIs, agro and rural industries in which 600-700 artisans are engaged in craft and manufacturing activities. It has trained 15,000-20,000 persons in various craft and manufacturing sectors so far, said Krishnan.

The clusters cover food processing, textiles, handicrafts, spices and essential oils.

As part of its market promotion for craft items, SIPPO is organising a 10-day expo in Mysore from January 6. Handicraft from Tamil Nadu like the Tanjore art plates, art painting, musical instruments like veena and violin, swamimalai bronze icons, Sungudi sarees, tribal art and different types of Kuthuvilaku (bronze lamps) will be on display.

India's handicraft industry might be classified as a cottage industry, but its importance to the country's economy should not be underestimated as it employs over five million artisans, mostly in the small scale sector, gem and jewellery manufacturing and is a growing source of foreign exchange earnings, assistant director of Handicrafts Manufacturing & Service Extension Centre S C Devaramani added.