Indian Industrial Clusters

Keshab Das is Professor at the Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad, India.

'This volume will add substantially towards our understanding of what industrial clusters can and cannot do. Professor Das is one of the most active researchers in this area. It is particularly relevant to India because most of the employment in the industrial sector is generated by small-scale industry.' Amiya Kumar Bagchi, Director, Institute of Development Studies Calcutta, India This collection of case studies attempts to show why and how certain clusters progress and perform better relative to others; How important are trust and co-operation between entrepreneurs, or public provision of 'real services' to industry? And what are the implications for jobs and working conditions? This is a very useful and timely book.' Mark Holmström, (Retired), University of East Anglia, UK 'The insights and the results of extensive field work are presented in a lucid manner. As industrial and especially small industry policy has increasingly recognized the need for cluster strategies in its approach, I cannot think of a better set of studies than this one. It is a must read for any serious commentator or policy maker.' Sebastian Morris, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India 'In recent years, industrial clustering of small firms has generated a lot of interest in developing countries because of its ability to bring in collective efficiency. This book...is a collection of 13 well-written articles covering more than 20 clusters.' Small Enterprise Development '...an excellent exposition of the concept of agglomeration economies across space...a series of interesting papers...the volume would be useful for researchers, policy planners and those who keep interest in issues on industry-urban nexus.' The Indian Journal of Labour Economics '...an ambitious book...provides a good review of key issues and research related related to the question of what industrial clusters in India can and cannot do. Sentences are clear, paragraphs are coherent and chapters complem

• Contents: Preface; Industrial clustering in India: local dynamics and the global debate, Keshab Das; An Italian model and an Indian reality: searching for a way-out of deteriorating sweatshop conditions, Peter Knorringa; Flexible accumulation and labour markets: case of the Tiruppur Knitwear Cluster, M. Vijayabaskar; Industrial clusters and labour in rural areas: the brick kiln industry in three States, Rachel Kurian; Competition and response in small firm clusters: two cases from Gujarat, Keshab Das; Organizational forms, technological change and income generation: handloom and conch shell product clusters in West Bengal, Pradip Kumar Biswas; Variations on the classical model: forms of cooperation in leather clusters of Palar Valley, Tamil Nadu, Loraine Kennedy; Industrial clustering and cooperation: the Kanpur Saddlery cluster, Mridula Dwivedi and Rahul Varman; Flexible specialization for rural industries? a study of the bamboo and rattan subsector, P.M. Mathew; The silver filigree cluster in Cuttack, Orissa: what ails it?, Gyana Chandra Kar; Handicrafts and 'Cluster Development Approach': the hand block printed textiles cluster of Jaipur, Tamal Sarkar; Transforming artisans to entrepreneurs through group enterprise: the footwear cluster of Athani, Karnataka, Madhura M. Chatrapathy; Classifying small enterprise clusters: a conceptual enquiry in Ahmedabad, Meine Pieter van Dijk; Index.