Industries in Pune district are functioning with 47 per cent of the total manpower and the current level of production for July 2020 is about 40 per cent of what was in July 2019, according to the survey conducted by the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA).

Pune district has more than 1.3 lakh registered MSMEs and 650-700 large-scale units. Together they employ 17 lakh employees, a quarter of them work in the IT/ITeS sector.

Micro industries reported 30 per cent production while medium industries reported 57 per cent followed by large-scale industries (53 per cent) and small industries (42 per cent). Medium industries are working with 65 per cent employees followed by large industries (54 per cent), small industries (48 per cent) and micro industries (39 per cent). This is the fourth survey conducted by the MCCIA to record the status of industries amidst the Covid-19 crisis and lockdowns.

Demand uncertainty

Prashant Girbane, Director-General, MCCIA, speaking to BusinessLine said, “The biggest issue industries are facing is not about seeking permission to start work or transportation, but the uncertainty of demand. We hope that demand would go up in August with more unlocking resulting in more production”.

He added that compared to the last survey, industries have shown an upward trend in production and the number of employees resuming work.

Meanwhile, industrialists and traders in Pune district have urged the State government not to impose frequent lockdowns, as they feel that lockdowns have not helped to curb the spread of the panemic.

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Small and Medium Scale Industries Association has demanded that the government must exempt the industry from lockdowns. Industrialists said that almost 60 per cent of industries in auto hub spread across Pune district have started operations even as they continue to wait for the migrant labourers to return.