Publisher's Synopsis
This book is about technology and competitiveness of the Indian small scale industries. The phenomena of globalisation, liberalization and rapid technological developments are changing business environments in the recent decades. Globalisation and liberalization process is exposing small enterprises to market competition at a greater extent and also intensifying the competition, whereas technological developments are providing opportunities for these enterprises to improve competitive strength so as to deal with the open market competition. Indian small enterprises that have operated since long in a doubly protected market require drastic changes in their technologies to cope with the intensifying market competition. This book probes into the technological change in small enterprises especially its causes, constraints and impact on competitive strength. The book uses an eclectic approach so as to cover the actual process of technological change in the small enterprises and its determinants, and is based on the primary survey data relating to Auto Components, Electronics and Garments. The study finds that size of the enterprise, availability of finance and labour as the main factors constraining the technological upgradation in the Indian small enterprises. All three variables have important policy implications. This book will be of interest to students of industrial economics and management, and to all those organizations involved in the development of small industries including business associations and policy makers. ABOUT THE AUTHOR T.A. Bhavani is Associate Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, India. She did her M.Phil and Ph.D. in Economics from Delhi School of Economics, Delhi. She was a Ford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA during 1992-93. One of her papers that constitute a part of this book has won GDN (Global Development Network) research medal in 2003. She has worked extensively
