In the last episode, my colleague and host of Climate Economy, Kunal Shankar, spoke about the shifts underway in India’s transport sector, as it attempts to decarbonise. One among the many places where this transition is likely to be felt most is Coimbatore. That’s because this district is home to many of the smaller firms that form part of the automobile sector’s value chain catering to Internal combustion engine vehicles.

Coimbatore is one among the leading supply chain clusters in the country for the auto sector. Its journey as a component manufacturer for automobiles started almost six decades ago led by the foundries that made castings, factories that manufactured motors, and the demand from automobile majors in Tamil Nadu. 

In a district where streets of one or two room workshops, called micro or cottage industries, contribute to the economy, are there job losses, job shifts, or new jobs as the industries prepare for the transitions in the mobility sector? Is there adequate funding available for the MSMEs? Are these units plugged into the latest developments in technology? Let us drive into the auto clusters to understand better what’s happening on the ground.

Script & Presentation : Soundariya Preetha

Video & Editing: Shibu Narayan