Why Small Scale Industries in Indian Need Help

Marketing Issues for Small Industries This study was conducted over a ten-year period and it is based on a survey of 101 small scale industrial units in India (Varanasi, India). The authors focused on the marketing "problems" that many of these small scale units face, although there are other problems relating to production, finance, and personnel matters. They claimed at the outset that this was an "empirical survey," important because the small scale industries in India are very important to the overall economy.

And the authors claim that though employment is rising very dramatically (and output is also up), and the number of units has also risen dramatically, there are marketing problems that results in "opportunities lost" by these small firms. What are the article's shortcomings and limitations? (Critique) As to the assertion that the research is "empirical," the authors then seem to back away from the "empirical" description; on page 68 they say that the study is "fundamentally exploratory" and "descriptive in nature" (Jha, et al., 2010).

And on page 69, they explain that the problems they disclose "may be taken as an illustrative not as conclusive form," which doesn't seem to a reader that this is truly an empirical research paper (Jha, 69). This may seem a bit petty but the authors' use of English shows a noticeable lack of sophistication. For example, on page 69 they write, "For example, since most of the entrepreneurs are shadowed by middlemen's." And, the entrepreneurs are "not very much serious with regard to ascertaining…" the consumer buying habits (Jha, 69).

(Critique) There are other gaffs in the narrative, and a reader can't feel really comfortable with the quality of the report if the quality of the narrative is a bit sketchy. Moreover, the article repeats the same themes over and over. They continually say how important it is that these small industries must have marketing plans.

And the marketing plans that the industries do have include "…marketing objectives" but those objectives "are not based on suitable standards" and also, since the small scale industry leaders don't "…exactly know the customers," so how can they assess whether the customers are happy or not with their products (Jha, 70). How confident are you in the article's results? (Critique) The authors presented over 55 points where these small industries are either lacking or failing.

Most of the points start with "Lack of…" and while there are several problems that are repeated it is clear that the great majority of these industries are either failing or struggling. That said, there was no empirical tabulation of how the 101 representatives actually responded to the survey.

Also, the authors on the one hand say that the "small scale industries (SSI) have been playing a very significant and strategic role in Indian capital" (74); on the other hand the products that the SSI put out are "small in quantity and shoddy in quality" (73).

How could the SSIs be playing significant roles in the economy of India when their products are "shoddy in quality"? These small firms "…lack the awareness and understanding of the vital role played by…promotion" -- and hence, they do need to be brought up to speed (Jha, 72). Also, it appears that "…they do not have any high ambition for making the system of distribution effective and efficient," but on the other hand the authors at the beginning of the article said that the SSIs struggle is "mainly due to.