Scope of Work and Methodology
As per the Terms of Reference, for the assignment, the scope of work for this study encompasses the following:

To prepare a comprehensive project report for the proposed Stone Artisan Parks which will deal with the following aspects:

  • To examine present status of the industry in the state in general and at the proposed locations in particular.
  • To undertake a detailed market survey of the Stone Industry to cover the following
    • A sample survey of the artisan/industry to be carried out in the selected villages of Ambaji and Dhrangadhara talukas by administering structured questionnaires to the artisans.
    • To interact with the office bearers of Associations of stone cutting, polishing and machinery manufacturers in order to compile and analyse their views on important aspects of the industry, problems and requirements for support/infrastructure facilities.
    • To interact with the officials of the respective Govt. Departments and compile data on the industry/government schemes and the work carried so far.
    • To study similar type of stone artisan park at Jaipur and study the nature of services provided by it, functioning of the park, other facilities provided by it, success rate, and its funding arrangements for capital and revenue expenditure.
    • To identify artisan needs in terms of training, type of training, cost of training, arrangement for providing the same etc.
    • To identify other areas in which assistance/support is required by the artisans such as finance, marketing, infrastructure facilities etc.,
    • To study the technology and process being used by the artisans, identify technology gaps and suggest suitable action plan for upgradation/modernization of the technology/manufacturing processes.
    • To identify suitable government agencies/NGOs/ Corporations/training institutions, which can provide assistance in the areas of training, infrastructure facilities, financial assistance etc.

  • To work out estimates of capital cost for the Artisan Park to be established in phased manner.

  • To identify Sources of Finance for the park and suggest an appropriate Financing Plan.
  • Based on the findings of the study, to formulate a Comprehensive Project Proposal and suggest suitable action plan for it implementation.

Methodology adopted for carrying out the assignment is described below.
  • Collected primary information from Geology and Mining Department regional offices. Interactions were held with the leading professionals/knowledgeable people in the line in order to elicit their views on the subject of the study and the industry/activity.
  • Prepared questionnaire for survey. Around 65 structured questionnaires were sent to the artisan located at Ambaji and Dhrangadhara, the proposed locations for the parks.
  • Study of websites of prominent organizations, NIC Govt. of India, a few prominent states Governments and other portals were visited for collecting necessary information on importantly aspects of the activity.
  • Study of prospecting reports of different agencies, analytical results and publications and carried out extensive desk research work. Personal discussions were held with the experts, machinery manufacturers, raw material manufactures and leaders of the Industry Associations.
  • Personal visits were arranged with to discuss and identify specific requirements of the Artisans in different areas.
  • Discussions with senior officials in the state government and leading economists in order to fine-tune the scheme concept/features.
  • Relevant data and information on the concerned products and other important techno commercial information were compiled through various methods and sources as stated above and, the same were analyzed and studied in detail, the findings of which are presented in the subsequent chapters.
  • GITCO carried out a study and visited the Centre for Development of Stones (CDOS), Jaipur which is reported to be similar to the concept of the proposed Stone Artisan Parks to be setup in the State.

Actions for effective Management for Stone Artisan Park
  • Academic Planning and Audit
  • Promotion of Trainee Engagement with External Environment
  • Fostering Training centre-Industry Interface