Intervene to Industrialise: A holistic approach to enabling business environment, entrepreneurship, and cluster value chain development, V. Padmanand and J. Vinanchiarachi, Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (K-BIP), Trivandrum, 2008, Pp:330) This book captures the essential challenges and possible strategies to address a number of dilemmas of development faced by the world. It is timely, particularly in the light of global recession experienced today across the world. I believe that both public-private partnerships and intervention in cluster value-chains discussed in the book have major roles to play in the emerging development model that the world will witness.

 

The journey of entrepreneurship is quite exciting and adventurous at times and merits considerable guidance, direction and monitoring. The book would help those who undertake this entrepreneurial path.

 

This book is a useful information tool for stakeholders of industry and economic development.

 

 

(Spatial Disparities in Human Development: Perspective from Asia, Ravi Kanbur, Anthony J.Venables, and Guanghua Wan, United Nations University Press, Japan, 2006, Pp: 322)
Spatial disparities are a measure of the unequal distribution of income, wealth, power and resources between peoples in different locations. This book focuses on issues directly related to the Millennium Development Goals including conflict, poverty, and the causes and consequences of inequality. It applies the latest research techniques including regression-based decomposition, poverty decomposition and computable general equilibrium models.

The great value of this book comes from comparing, through detailed analysis, the problems of regional inequality and poverty in different Asian countries. Spatial inequality is of interest in its own right, but the topic of the book takes on added significant when special and regional divisions align with political and ethnic tensions to undermine social and political stability. With contributions from leading regional scientists and economists, this book also examines the policy experience of Asian countries in closing regional gaps and the effectiveness of public interventions in this field.

(Globalisation and Labour: The New ?Great Transformation?, Ronaldo Munck, Madhyam Books, New Delhi, 2002, Pp: 218)

Intellectual fashion currently focuses on us as consumers, but the world of production and services still needs us as workers. While globalization has, in part, been driven over the past two decades by the transitional corporations? search for cheap labour in new regions of the South, scholarly research and the mass media have paid remarkable little attention to the consequent changes that are happening in the world of work. This book is the first to deal comprehensively and analytically with labour?s response to globalization. It provides a critical overview of the main challenges facing workers and trade unions worldwide. Its author argues that what may be described as the national period in labour history is decisively over. Now the labour movement is itself acting increasingly in a transnational manner. This holds out the hope of its playing a major role in the social regulation of a global economic system which is largely out of control.

The author explains how globalization is foisting flexibilisation and feminization on working people, but in the process also making them conscious of their transnational links. The ?old? internationalism of the trade-union movement is now showing signs of developing into a ?new? internationalism where workers develop a sense of common interest and new ways of organizing that transcend national boundaries. Drawing his evidence from what is happening to workers and trade unions in a wide range of countries in both the industrialized North and the developing South, Professor Ronaldo Munck suggests that we may be on the brink of a new version of what Karl Polanyi, many years ago, strikingly called? the great transformation?. The implications for workers, trade unions and their traditional corporate employers could be profound.

(Structural Change in Employment India Since 1980s: How Lewisian Is It?, Satyaki Roy, ISID, New Delhi, 2008, Pp: 24)

Indian economy has shown high levels of growth and per capita income in recent years accompanies by an unprecedented shift of labour from agriculture to non-agriculture to non-agriculture during the last decade. Reallocation of labour form ?traditional? to ?modern? segments in an economy having large surplus labour was conceived in the Lewisian framework as the process by way of which both accumulation of capital and exhaustion of surplus labour takes place. This paper argues that the structural change in employment in India that results from the exclusionary nature of the growth process hardly approximates the Lewisian trajectory. Finally, in the context of globalization this paper explains the responses of firms of various size categories in non-agriculture and argues that the shift in employment basically expands the ?reserve army of labour? in the Marxian sense instead of exhaustion of surplus labour conceived in Lewisian conjectures.

(Investment and Growth in India Under Libreralization: Asymmetries and Instabilities, Surajit Mazumdar, ISID, New Delhi, 2008, Pp: 28)

This paper makes the case that the growth trajectory of the Indian economy in the post-1991 liberalization period is characterized by an inherent source of instability in manufacturing and industrial growth that distinguishes this period from the 1980s. This instability is a result of an investment-growth asymmetry that flows from a combination of a services-intensive growth pattern and a manufacturing-intensive investment pattern. These in turn reflect the pattern of demand expansion within the domestic economy as well as in external markets and also the reliance on private corporate investment as the driver of the economy?s investment process. In such circumstances, the maintaining of the balance between capacity creation and demand expansion in the manufacturing sector becomes impossible. Investment is thus prone to a high degree of instability, which through its effects on demand, also makes industrial growth highly unstable. The services-intensive growth trajectory after 1991 is, therefore, more correctly viewed as one which is unable to fully utilize the capital accumulation potential of the economy rather than as a trajectory cheap in the use of capital. Correcting this problem however requires measures that are inconsistent with a liberalized economic policy regime.

(Crony Capitalism and India: Before and After Liberalization, Surajit Mazumdar, ISID, New Delhi, 2008, Pp: 50)

This paper, the second in the series, initiates the examination of the nature of the relationship between private capital and the State in India. While the principal focus is on the present context of India under a liberal economic policy regime, both the past of Indian capitalism and the past discussion on the concentration of economic power are also brought into the picture to substantiate the key arguments. The paper provides theoretical and also some limited empirical substantiation for the proposition that unlike what would be the prediction of crony capitalism theory, liberalization, rather than reducing the degree of subordination of public authority to private capita, has only facilitated an enhanced degree of state capture.

(Subcontracting in India?s Small Manufacturing Enterprises Problems and Prospects,Partha Pratim Sahu,2007, ISID,New Delhi,Pp.22)

Subcontracting, ancillarization and out-sourcing are emerging as important organizational outfits that link small and micro enterprises with large industrial units, to the benefit of both. It is also regarded as an important source of efficiency and competitiveness for these industries, most markedly for the small enterprises. Based on a mix of primary and secondary data, the present paper examines incidence, sectoral pattern, characteristics features of subcontracting and its role as an instrument for technological up-gradation in small manufacturing enterprises. These issues have been analyzed both by type and location of enterprises.

The monograph finds that while the overall incidence of subcontracting is of very low order, it varies significantly among different industry groups. Delayed payment by the parent firms is reported to be the most important problem of subcontracting. Technological support from the parent firms have also been reported by many small enterprises. Further, in terms of adoption of new forms of technological changes, the units working under subcontracting have shown better rate of adoption as compared units those are not working under subcontracting.

The monograph concludes with some areas of policy intervention such as providing financial and technological support to small enterprises, enforcement of appropriate legislation to minimize the problem of undue and delayed payments by the parent firms and revamp subcontracting exchange programmed and so on for successful and effective operation of subcontracting.

The monograph,obviously is a rich resource material for researchers and practitioners in the area of SMEs

(eCommerce for Small Enterprise Development: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs in developing Countries,by Richard Duncombe and Richard Heeks,University of Manchester,2006,Pp. 36)

There are tens of millions of small enterprises, including micro-enterprises, in developing countries (DCs). More than 90% of all firms in DCs are micro and small enterprises (MSEs), and these typically contribute 80-90% of all employment. They are also significant in wealth creation, making up perhaps around a quarter of gross domestic product and often contributing to exports as well.

In an increasing competitive and globalised world, MSEs need to compete more effectively in order to further boost domestic economic activity and contribute toward increasing export earnings. MSEs will also continue to play an important role in increasing employment and incomes and thus contribute to poverty reduction on a sustainable basis.

eCommerce is emerging as a new way of helping business enterprises to compete in the market and thus contributing to economic success. eCommerce can help deliver economic growth, increased business opportunities, enhanced competitiveness and better access to markets. At present, though most small enterprises lack the knowledge of how investment in eCommerce could benefit their business and help them develop that competitive edge. This is at a time when the opportunities for small enterprises to adopt eCommerce are growing due to improved access to the technical and communication infrastructure.

This handbook will help you to understand more about eCommerce and what eCommerce has to offer your business. It will help you to decide if you need eCommerce in your business, and the type of eCommerce that can benefit your business.
 

(New Policy Regime and Small Pharmaceutical Firms in India,by Jaya Prakash Pradhan,ISID,January 2007,Pp. 19)

Small firms dominate the Indian Pharmaceutical industry with significant contribution to the national drug production and employment. They had played an important role in enhancing domestic technological capabilities in drugs production and have been instrumental in keeping drugs prices affordable for the Indian populace in remote rural areas. This rise of small firms in this sector has been facilitated by a set of strategic government polices implemented in the past decades like adoption of a process patent regime, relaxation granted from price control and industrial licensing requirement, reservation of items for exclusive production and preference in government procurement, etc.

 Since 1990s the regulatory regime for small firms underwent dramatic changes with withdrawal of most of the favourable polices and implementation of regulations like a long-term product patent regime, withdrawal of exemption from price controls, implementation of good manufacturing practices, etc. These new polices have a number of implications for the survival and growth of small pharmaceutical firms today.

The monograph is a rich addition to the bookshelves of any development research institute. 

The Handbook of Small-Enterprises in Kerala  by ISED Small Enterprise Observatory, Institute of Small Enterprises and Development, Cochin.
Promotion of  small and micro-enterprises becomes difficult in the absence of reliable statistics and database. Collection and maintenance of reliable data is extremely difficult for decentralised sectors. Data needs to be codified and maintained to suit the requirements of data users, such as planners, researchers, administrators and financial institutions based on the raw data produced by various promotional agencies. In view of this , the present handbook brought out covering every aspect of small enterprise promotion is useful to different agencies including statistical, research, promotional and  financial.

ISED Small Enterprise Observatory, at Institute of Small Enterprises and Development, Cochin has brought out ?The Handbook of Small Enterprises in Kerala? by collating and documenting the database of decentralised industries sector of Kerala  state. The database is generated based on various promotional agencies. The book deals with wide range of database covering industrial geography, policy and performance, promotion and development, finance, exports and the concerns of gender apart from general indicators of development and business opportunities . In order to have  an overall perspective of development of a sub-sector the planners require lot of data and  information for effective programme implementation by several promotional agencies.
Publication of  this nature is first of its kind in the State of Kerala and it will be a guiding force to other states, which are serious for the promotion of small and micro enterprises. Collection  and documentation of database on the decentralised sector such as small and micro-enterprises is not an easy task and the initiative of ISED is commendable. The way the data is presented with meticulous details combined with holistic approach to the sub-sector of small enterprise development will make the planner?s task much   easier. This  is a timely response to the pressing need for all the promotional agencies including bankers.
The publication gives lot of details on all-important aspects of small enterprise promotion of all the districts. Details on rural occupational concentration, major rural non-farm sub-sectors, district-wise data on various aspects of micro-enterprise including export details and gender outlook are some of the highlights of this publication. Year-wise data is also presented from 1984-85 till date so as to understand the trends on different aspects of small enterprise development iin Kerala. Compilation of data on different agro-based activities is an attempt to study the growth potential of small enterprises in production and employment of the same in Kerala. Further, this book also provides a detailed user?s manual so as to help the users for usage of data. All those who are associated with the compilation and publication of this book deserve appreciation for their time and pains in completing the task.

(Expanding Productive Employment  Opportunities: Role and Potential of the  Micro and Small Enterprises Sector, by Partha Pratim Sahu, March 2007)

This monograph by ISID, New Delhi,  analyses the growth and performance of the unorganized manufacturing (micro and small enterprises) sector in rural and urban India. The central concern would be to address the issues of employment potential of this sector. Based on NSS data on the unorganized manufacturing sector (40th Round, 1984-85; 51st Round, 1994-95; and the latest 56th Round, 2000-01) the paper looks at the growth  performance of this sector during the pre-and post-reform period, and attempts to identify challenges posed and opportunities thrown by in globalizing India. To find out the special locational constraints of rural enterprises, analysis has been made separately for rural and urban units. Further, to derive a firm picture about the specific sectors and sub-sectors that were rising or declining, especially in the wake of economic reforms, the analysis is extended to cover two ?digit level of industrial classification for three variables, namely, number of workers, capital; labour ratio and per worker productivity.

While the overall employment situation in the post-reform period is fairly depressing, the MSE sector has shown some sign of relief. It has witnessed a significant growth of employment in both rural and urban areas. But within the MSE sector, there has been a clear shift of manufacturing enterprises and employment from rural to urban areas and from tiny to bigger sized units. The levels of productivity are abysmally low for each of the three types of enterprises, but there are substantial differences among them and it is even more glaring between rural and urban located units. Thus, both locational and scale attributes are clearly at work. Moreover, there was a substantial change in the composition of workers in the post-reform period, i.e., part-time workers increased at a higher rate both in rural and urban areas. The paper unfolds the statistical delusion of post ?reform high employment growth in the MSE sector and calls for a special policy attention towards technological improvement, promotion of sub-contracting and clusters.