Promoting Industrial Clusters: Review of Experiences in Europe, East Asia and India

Abstract

Small firm clusters have come to occupy a significant space in the discussions on industrialisation strategies, especially in the context of less-developed regions. This paper reviews a select set of literature on European, East Asian and Indian clusters with a comparative perspective. The review is organised around the provision of support services to small and medium enterprises in these regions in four fields: credit, marketing, technology and skill development and networking. The paper calls for a concentrated approach to cluster development in India based on size of the cluster, its potential for growth and export, technological status and scope for modernisation.