The HMT factory at Ranibag is the only factory in the world that produces Braille mechanical watches. More so, people still prefer to take the mechanical watches produced by this public sector giant as a valuable treasure for their archives. But the Government of India that intends to reposition its industrial sector by giving the much-touted mantra of ‘Make in India’ is going to close the HMT’s Ranibag unit soon, the employees of the company here informed.
Following the Government’s decision to wind up this major public sector company, the employees of this unit have taken to the streets, urging the Government to reconsider its decision of closing the company. Veteran ND Tiwari was instrumental in establishing the HMT unit here at Ranibag in 1982 during his tenure a Union Heavy Industry Minister in Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet. later, the then Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi inaugurated the public sector enterprise in 1985.
The HMT watch company at Ranibag turned out to be India’s ‘Time Keeper’ over the years, bringing out stylish models of watches. Even technologically advanced country like Japan used to import mechanical watches from our factory till recently, proudly claim employees of the HMT, Ranibag unit.
We have also received orders for producing mechanical watches from some other countries recently. But on account of poor financial conditions of the unit, the deals with other countries could not be materialised, regretted Bhagwan Singh, an employee of the HMT, Ranibag.
With watch production coming down over the years, the HMT unit at Ranibag also started producing certain defence equipments used in Bofors gun and other defence machines. However, the HMT unit at Ranibag that produced a significant role in adding to the hill economy being the only major public sector giant has met the same fate as many other public sector firms have done.
With little support from the Government, over 500 plus staffers of this HMT unit that once significantly contributed to the growth of this company, have turned liability for the management nowadays. The employees have alleged that they have not been receiving salaries since April 2014. The Government may have its own reasons not to revive this old public sector unit. But had this factory been given due push, it could have definitely gone a long way to strengthen the hill industrialisation process.