The story
Ludhiana's light-engineering base began with small foundries and workshops along GT Road that made machines for local farms and factories. Over decades these shops started building lathes, presses, oil expellers and wood-working machines that are sold to small factories across India and abroad. Sheet-metal, wire-drawing and printing-packaging clusters grew beside them. Most units are micro and small, run by owner-engineers.
In numbers
The Machine Tool Manufacturers cluster had 250 functional units, a turnover of ₹250 crore, exports of ₹150 crore and employment of 15,000.
MSME-DI Ludhiana — Brief Industrial Profile of Ludhiana District · 2012The Sheet Metal Parts cluster had 700 functional units with a turnover of ₹3,750 crore.
MSME-DI Ludhiana — Brief Industrial Profile of Ludhiana District · 2012The Oil Expeller & Parts cluster had 150 functional units with a turnover of ₹15,000 lakh and exports of ₹1,500 lakh.
MSME-DI Ludhiana — Brief Industrial Profile of Ludhiana District · 2012
Ways in for a newcomer
- Selling Ludhiana-made machines to new small factories in other states as a dealer
- CNC retrofitting and repair of old machines
- Laser cutting and sheet-metal job work
- Spares and after-sales service for oil expellers and presses
Problems the cluster faces
- High electricity rates
- Raw-material supply and steel prices
- Conventional technology and shortage of skilled machinists
- Competition from imported CNC machines
Businesses to start here
CNC Engineering Workshop (Precision Job Work) →Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication (Job Shop) →Tool Room for Sheet Metal Dies →Engineering Workshop (Job Work and Repairs) →Galvanised Steel (GI) Wire →Electrostatic Powder Coating Unit →Oil Mill (Kachi Ghani Mustard / Groundnut) →