Garment and Footwear Manufacturing Unit

Challenge

To create additional non-mining related employment in a locality which needed an economic boost.

Solution

TSMPL recognised that some of the men and many of the women had basic skills that could be upgraded. The State of Jharkhand encouraged small and medium economic enterprise. TSMPL funded the infrastructure for both a garment and a footwear unit. This included importing state-of-the-art machines from Japan, building the enterprises shed, bringing in garment-making technologists and upgrading training facilities, belonging to the Government. The initial financial burden both for capital and operating costs are borne by the mine as the training whilst on the job can take months given the quality requirements of buyers and the competition in this industry. The project aims to give employment to 1500 persons, largely women, amongst the impacted families.

Benefit

The project will benefit more than 17 villages of Chepakalan, Dadikalan and Sindiwari panchayats of Barkagaon block. It brings economic independence, a sense of workforce discipline and imparts skills that can be used elsewhere. While employment is available to both men and women, the latter have seized the opportunity.