Slowdown effect? As capital goods orders dry up, Pune's MSMEs falter

The third part of the series looks at how MSMEs that cater to capital goods makers are reeling from stress

Chandrakant Kumbhar, a resident of Dehu, a small town near Pune’s industrial cluster, has lost his job twice in the last three years: first, in the aftermath of demonetisation, and then, three months ago. Kumbhar, who is skilled in steel fabrication, is finding it difficult to land another job in the small universe of factories in Bhosari, where he usually finds work, owing to the economic slowdown.

The town of Bhosari, which lies at the heart of the industrial cluster developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, houses many capital goods manufacturing companies. Small firms — those which offer work to