Chairman, National SSI Committee of IDMA & Vice President (South Zone) IDMA.

The small-scale sector drug companies in India are passing through an important phase. With the government ready to allow another six more months for complying with the Schedule M norms, the units that have not initiated any steps should come forward to do at least something to comply with the norms.

Then they have every chance of convincing the drug control authorities that they are in the process of complying with the norms. Now banks have come forward to help the units, and they have a lenient attitude and compassionate outlook to the SSI units, considering the gravity of the situation, as per the interaction I had with some top officials of State Bank of India, SIDBI etc.

Now the CLSS scheme offers loans at much lower interest rates. It is a case of will of the managements to have a progressive outlook and getting ready to take on the competition in future. In the past few years, adequate awareness was given about the consequences of not complying with the Schedule M norms.

The National SSI Committee of IDMA launched a series of programmes for the benefit of SSI units and our technical seminars with the theme "Schedule M Upgradation For Progressive SSI units" were held at Chennai, Delhi, Calcutta and Ahmedabad. Numerous unit owners attended all these meetings. Further we are also in the process of organizing technical seminars to help them take on the marketing challenges in the post 2004 era.

SSI units have excellent opportunities in the changing world. They should focus on their core competencies and should try to leverage from that. Instead of looking at all the segments, it is better to focus and specialize in some areas. Other than looking at marketing a product all around, focus on the local region, where you have advantages than your competitors, whether the multinationals or other big companies.

- (As told to P B Jayakumar)