Mumbai to Kutch: it's payback time for biz

Kutchi traders hit by lockdown in Mumbai plan to shift base to homeland, set up biz park; 1,100 evince interest

By Kulsum Yusuf

Turning adversity into opportunity, Kutch has risen every time it has been faced with a calamity - be it the devastating earthquake of 2001 or the ravaging cyclone in 1998.

With the coronavirus striking hard at their businesses in Mumbai, the Kutchis have once again risen to the occasion by planning to shift base to their homeland and making the most of the opportunities it offers.

Mumbai-based Kutchis who had to shut shop in the lockdown have initiated steps to set up a business park in Kutch. Plenty of land, good infrastructure and easy availability of Narmada water have brightened their chances of beginning this new venture. Bhuj MLA Dr Nima Acharya and former MLA from Rapar Pankaj Mehta have written to state and central governments about the opportunities available in Kutch.

Almost 20,000 Kutchis have landed in their homeland in the last one month. "Majority of us are from Mumbai. Kutch is pollution-free, has cheap labour with major ports. Moreover, after years of experience in Mumbai we have money, land is not an issue, so we thought why not set up a garment park in Kutch. We have begun collecting data in this regard," said Anil Gami of Apex Ladies Solutions Pvt Ltd. He is also president of Garment Manufacturing Workers Welfare Association in Santacruz. Gami along with other business persons had floated the idea in 2013, but somehow it didn't materialise. Gami who is from Bhachau has settled in Mumbai for the past two decades.

Kutch business park (garment zone) is being planned on the highway between Samakhiyali and Bhachau, on 60 to 70 acres of land. Each manufacturing unit will be allotted a plot of 1,000 to 2,000 feet area as per their need, said Gami. Today, online business opportunity is also a plus point for us, he said.

Gami and his associates have floated an online form among the garment manufacturers of Mumbai, with 1,100 of them having responded positively.

Talakshi Nandu who is associated with textile and garment business along with ceramics said, "I am excited by the whole idea. Almost 80 per cent of garment manufacturers and traders in Maharashtra are from Vagad area of Kutch, and they see this as a golden opportunity. Due to labour crunch our business in Mumbai has suffered a lot and there is no sign of it getting back on track in the next six months."

Ahmedabad and Surat are emerging as business hubs for textile. If manufacturing is possible in Kutch, we can get export opportunities due to port and better material from within the state itself, said Nandu.

Ashwin Mehta of Studio LCX Fashion Pvt Ltd who belongs to Rapar had shifted base to Mumbai three decades ago. "Now we have better infrastructure and pollution-free environment. I filled up the form as soon as I came to know about it. Most of us own land and house in Kutch, so it is easy to shift base," Mehta said.

Maulik Sheth, a kids garment manufacturer who is from Gundiyali village in Mandvi taluka of Kutch has been in Mumbai for the past three decades. Though he is doing well, he believes that it is payback time - he can return and generate employment as well.

Vijay Thakkar from Bhachau shifted to Mumbai in 1998 and owns Nispruhaya fashion LLP. "When we shifted to Mumbai, we didn't have money or technological knowhow, now we have both and we can do something novel as well, and what's better when you are able to go back to your motherland," Thakkar said. According to Bhuj MLA Dr Nima Acharya, "I have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani explaining in detail how Kutch can be a golden place for industries and what all can be provided to them to achieve the Make in India dream."