US Consulate Offers Support To Indian MSMEs For Clean Energy In Foundry, Forging Units

United States consulate in Mumbai has offered its support to Indian medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to incorporate clean energy and reduce emissions in the foundry and forging segment.

“This is the right time for companies to incorporate clean energy technologies and to make process improvements that lead to efficiencies and reduced emissions in support of global climate goals,” said Rob Anderson, Public Engagement Unit Chief, US Consulate General, Mumbai.

These MNCs have policies and plans in place to meet global environment, social, and governance (ESG) standards, he said speaking at an interactive session on ‘Adoption of Clean Technologies in the Foundry and Forging Sectors’.

The session was jointly organised by MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai and Shiroli Manufacturers Association, Kolhapur (SMAK) at Shiroli in Kolhapur district in India’s western state of Maharashtra, located 365 km South of Mumbai.

The US consulate is considering an industry-government forum to promote the exchange of ideas on green technology and finance, including in the forging and foundry sectors as there is tremendous scope to exchange best practices in waste reduction, water recycling, energy efficiency, reducing carbon emission and process optimisation, Anderson said.

With 200,000 Indian students opting to study in the US last year, Anderson stated that there was scope to promote academic collaboration and called upon educational institutions from both countries to develop a curriculum on clean energy.

Speaking on the foundry cluster in Kolhapur district, Virendra Patil, Member, SMAK, said, “Kolhapur is home to one of the largest foundry clusters in India as there are nearly 3,000 foundry and other engineering units producing more than one lakh tonne casting and forging components every month."

Patil said that many of these foundry units were established as early as 1975 and today they cater to both domestic as well as US and European markets. These units supply critical components to automobile manufacturers, power equipment, construction machinery and other sectors.”

Patil pointed out, “Foundry is an energy-intensive sector as more than 15 per cent of the total cost is spent on power. In order to reduce the cost of power, some foundry units have installed solar power. Also, the foundry cluster has set up India’s first sand reclamation plant, which facilitates recycling of 80 per cent of the sand used in the foundry and supplying the remaining sand for road construction and other purposes.”