Diesel Engines

Rich History

Traditionally, Rajkot was famous for the manufacture of diesel engines all over the world. It was exporting diesel engines to far off places such as Africa and Gulf countries. Diesel engine manufacturing was at its peak during the 1980s and early 1990s. However, the industry, which was primarily catering to the agricultural sector, was severely hit after the farmers were forced to switch to alternatives such as the submersible pumps due to falling water table in the region. Therefore, all the foundries that were earlier manufacturing diesel engine castings were forced to diversify to producing pump castings, automobile castings, electric motor bodies and gear box body castings. The bearing industry has developed locally due to the large demand for bearings in the diesel engine and pump set industry.

Current Scenario

Rajkot has found place among the leading industrial centers of India. Over the past fifty years it has grown to be the main center of production of diesel engines and its spares, machine tools and automobile spares, plastics, pharmaceuticals, golden/silver ornament and its machinery, CNC machines, food products and other products which are manufactured and exported from this region. There are about 500 foundry units in Rajkot. The cluster came-up mainly to cater to the casting requirements of the local diesel engine industry. The geographical spread of the cluster includes Aji Vasahat, Gondal Road and Bhavanagar Road, Sapar and GIDC Lodhika areas. Majority of the foundry units in Rajkot produce grey iron castings for the domestic market. A very small percentage (about 2%) of the foundry units exports castings such as electric motor castings, automobile castings, etc.

--> Presence of Rajkot Engineering cluster in different engineering segments (Ref. T E R I Report No. 2008IE20)

Selection of sectors for intervention

Interactions with MSMEs and cluster stakeholders revealed that there has been a few intervention by external agencies aimed at BDS development and promotion and common facilities at the cluster level in selected sectors viz. in diesel engines sector by EDI(Entrepreneurship development Institute of India).