In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Kerala, a small enterprise promising cleaner work spaces, homes and cars has come up in Kerala.

An SME keen on cleanliness

Business Standard

Initially they faced labour shortage, subsequently rising steel prices led to a lot of them closing down and now the surging inflation.

Punjab steel units contemplate diversification

Soon after retiring as a scientist from the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehra Dun three years ago, P L Soni wanted to give a practical shape to his experiments with Aloe vera, an ayurvedic herb.

Scientist extracts juice and gel from Aloe vera

The Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC), Bhubaneswar, has tied up with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation ( UNIDO) and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Institute under the MSME ministry for cluster development initiatives (CDI) like diagnostic study, trust building and action plan implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

CTTC Bhubaneswar ties up with UNIDO

Growing demand in the SME sector in the state for sophisticated engineering equipment has led the state to send the proposals to the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Orissa wants two mini tool rooms

State Bank of Patiala, headquartered in Patiala, Punjab will soon begin direct liaison with local industry associations at district levels to understand the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

State Bank of Patiala to liaise directly with SSIs

The run-up to the Olympic games in Beijing has brought some good news and some bad news for the chemical and dyestuff SMEs of Gujarat.

Olympics: Displaced Chinese dyestuff units eye Gujarat

&nbsp;For any industry, three decades is a very short time to carve a niche. But the automotive piston industry of Agra has witnessed a meteoric fall from world-wide fame to near extinction.

Agra piston industry near extinction

&nbsp;Coir product manufacturers in Kerala are passing through troubled times. Three factors have made their survival an issue.

Coir products fail, SME innovates to tide over crisis

For the miniature bulb industry in Dehra Dun, there seems to be no light at the end of tunnel despite the tax breaks on offer by the Uttarakhand government.

Dehradun bulb units fight through darkness

The Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association zeroes in on German technical universities to bring cutting edge technologies to processes here.

Machine tool SMEs on tech hunt

&nbsp;The Panja dari business in Sironj, MP, is losing its feet. Dari (carpets or fine floor coverings)making started in the town some 300 years ago.

Panja daris lose space as demand declines

Tax breaks offered by the Centre are helping Uttarakhand packaging clusters expand.

Packaging industry in Uttarakhand thrives on tax breaks

Small Scale Industries (SSIs) in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the iron and steel sector, are bearing the brunt of inflation.

Inflation hits UP steel production

Most of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Haryana have not been able to function optimally due to power shortage.

Captive power only option for Haryana units

The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), an autonomous institute under the chemicals ministry, may allow the use of some of its world-class laboratories in Chandigarh by drug makers in the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment.

NIPER may allow drug makers to access facility

Low returns and operational hazards associated with the rating of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has led to outsourcing of the job by reputed rating agencies to local audit firms.

SME rating not lucrative enough for big agencies

With lending to the SME sector being identified as prime business, the State Bank of Travancore (SBT) has lined up a number of measures tailor-made for clients to keep the momentum going.

`Product range for small firms needs focus`

Profits for small-scale handicraft manufacturing units decline as rising marble cost and imposition of 4 per cent VAT on marble goods put a question mark on their sustenance.

Taj Mahal makers face margin issues

Due to dwindling demand for standard bicycles, bicycle manufacturers in the North are now diversifying into fancy bicycles.

Cycle makers diversify into fancy products

The small industries in Orissa may soon set up the state&#39;s first integrated textile park and bank for engineering goods manufacturers.

Orissa units set up SPVs for integrated textile park

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