“The estimated steel requirement of Coimbatore is one million tonnes, so we need a raw material park similar to a manufacturing yard in the city,” said Karthikeyan, Outgoing President of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (CODISSIA), in a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

In the memorandum, CODISSIA, under the leadership of Karthikeyan, highlighted several challenges faced by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and proposed measures to address them.

The key issues raised in the memorandum included funding for MSMEs, loans under the Mudra scheme, raw materials, rooftops, and logistics infrastructure.

Among the recommendations, CODISSIA urged banks to significantly improve credit flow to MSMEs, particularly micro enterprises. It also proposed the formation of an MSME Association–Bankers Committee to monitor the progress of funding and the number of units receiving financial assistance.

The association further suggested the introduction of a dedicated scheme for the installation of rooftop and ground-mounted solar power systems in industrial units, similar to the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana currently available for households.

Highlighting logistics concerns, the memorandum noted that rising fuel costs directly impact the transportation of raw materials, thereby increasing production costs. MSMEs in Coimbatore believe that improved integration of road, rail, and port connectivity would strengthen Tamil Nadu’s position as one of India’s leading industrial and export-driven economies while enabling MSMEs to contribute more effectively to national economic growth.

Addressing these challenges would help strengthen the MSME sector and enable it to contribute more significantly to GDP growth, exports, employment generation, and industrial development, Karthikeyan said.

He further stressed that for MSMEs to scale up successfully, greater focus is required on key areas such as access to finance, technology upgradation, innovation, training and skill development, and marketing support.

A robust and globally competitive MSME ecosystem is essential for realising the vision of transforming India into a USD 5 trillion economy and establishing the country as a leading global manufacturing hub, CODISSIA concluded in the memorandum.