Local sewing industry suffering as used Chinese machines make way into country

The inflow of used Chinese sewing machines in the country in large quantities is posing serious threat to Ludhiana’s traditional sewing machine industry. The city’s industry has continuously been on the decline for the past few years and its production has reduced by 50 per cent. Pegged at Rs 750 crores five years ago, it has now reduced to Rs 350 crores.

There are approximately around 450 sewing machine units in Ludhiana, while the number was 600 five years ago. The export incentives given to the industry have also been stopped by the government.

The used sewing machines are brought here as scrap as China discards its machines after the expiry date even if they are in a working condition and need little repair. After setting the machines right, these are sold in the market. Although these machines are used and old, they are technologically advanced compared to the machines manufactured here and the cost of both the machines is the same and sometimes even lesser.

Jagbir Singh Sokhi, chairman of Sewing Machine Development Club, said the influx of used Chinese machine were giving tough time to the local industry. Although these machines are used but these are technologically superior. Used machines in huge quantity are brought in India by traders in Gujarat who then repair them, give them an uplift and sell them in different parts of the country, giving tough time to the local sewing machine industry.

Sandeep Singh, president of Sewing Machine Dealers and Assemblers Association, said many MSME units had shut down due to the existing conditions. “The government should formulate some policy and ban the import of sewing machine into the country. Many sewing machine industrial units have shut in the past few years due for this,” he said.

Another small sewing machine manufacturer said the local selling machine industry needed to focus on the technology upgradation to compete with the Chinese counterparts. “The government need to help the industry with research and development so that it can give competition to the Chinese goods. Policies should also be formulated to check the influx,” he said.