The Hindu Business Line : Ministry approval sought for wet grinders

It could, with the Coimbatore Wet Grinders and Accessories Manufacturers Association (COWMA), seeking approval from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for wet grinders as an accessory in the production of idlis and for generic brand promotion.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr N. Rajan, Secretary, COWMA, said the Rs 200-crore wet grinder industry in Coimbatore, which had a sustained annual growth of 25 per cent to 30 per cent during the 1990s, was facing a slowdown in growth due to the economic recession in the past five years and an increase in raw material prices.

The industry has been taking steps to expand its market reach, apart from finding new uses for wet grinders that were essentially used to make dough for idlis, dosas and vadas.

From being a sought-after-kitchen equipment in Tamil Nadu, wet grinders have slowly made inroads into Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. Mr Rajan said wet grinder manufacturers have also been able to penetrate the North Indian market, where chappati is the staple diet, by providing an attachment for kneading atta.

Mr Rajan said another development in the industry was the increasing acceptance of wet grinders among South Indians settled abroad. Wet grinders have become a valuable kitchen accessory now and are increasingly being carted to countries such as the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, the Gulf and South Africa, which have a large ethnic Indian population.

Earlier, a two-litre wet grinder was heavy and people going abroad could not carry it with them. But now, the grinders are compact and contemporary in styling. They are several user-friendly models such as tabletop wet grinders.

Mr Rajan said the association was interested in promoting idli as a health diet in the same way the West was promoting bread. Idli could be digested easily as it is steam-cooked and does not cause any health problems. Besides, it is easy on the purse, he said.

The Ministry has agreed to consider the case of wet grinders. Once the wet grinder makers get the nod from the Central Ministry, they will benefit from various promotional schemes.

The Secretary of COWMA said wet grinder producers in Coimbatore have been sanctioned a Rs 34-lakh aid under a three-year programme by the Small Industries Service Institute (SISI). Mr Rajan said the association will form three consortiums for the manufacture of arm sets, plastic accessories and electric motors, to help in procuring raw material in bulk , to provide technical assistance for product quality and design and to obtain finance at competitive rates.

There are around 1,000 wet grinder and accessories manufacturers in Coimbatore, with nearly 200 of them being manufacturers of wet grinders. The Director of SISI Chennai, Mr G. M. Ambhore, recently launched the Web site www.wetgrindercoimbatore.com.

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