There are over 1,200 units in the industry, manufacturing organic and inorganic chemicals and dyes, packaging products and brown films, among other products. The industry employs over 4,000 people, and earns nearly Rs. 6,000 crore as collective annual turnover.
The industry exports its products to several countries, including USA and Europe. These products are also sold in several states across India.
“This is an old industry, but now, the industrialists are facing a lot of problems in surviving. One of the major problems is that of environmental pollution. This industry creates a lot of air and water pollution. The micro units cannot afford to follow the guidelines given by the Pollution Control Department. The industrialists find it difficult to manufacture quality products in these circumstances,” says Hetan Patel, a representative of Sunny Chemicals. “ Another problem that the industry faces is the lack of exposure to direct marketing. The industrialists have to depend on local traders for the sale of their products. There are no direct links between the clients sitting abroad and the manufacturers in Ahmedabad,” says Sanjeev Kumar, the spokesperson of Rajiv Dyes. “There should be training programmes for the industrialists, to make them aware of the latest techniques of marketing and reaching out to people. The state government must take initiatives to help the industrialists reach their target users,” he says.
“ The cost of raw material is also high, and the industrialists have to pay more to get it. This stops them from investing in any other necessities in their units,” says Raja Ram, a representative of Manohar Dye And Chemical. “There is an urgent need for the state government to help the industrialists. Some financial support to the manufacturers will help them in maintaining standards in the industry,” he adds.