KARACHI, Oct 5: With a view to improve the lot of 500,000 women workers of the bangle industry, a modern glass designing and development centre is being set up in Hyderabad at the cost of Rs400 million.

The centre, a joint venture of Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda), will train workers of bangle factories located in Hyderabad in designing of glass products such as chandeliers, flask, vase, car headlights and other decorative items.

Bangle-making is very old industry of Hyderabad and its bangles are not only sold across the country but also exported to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the USA.

However, no serious efforts were made in the past to develop of this industry on modern lines and diversification of its products. Bangle factories engage male workers while a large number of women work at homes to make beautiful designs on simple bangles.

The SSIC will provide land and develop infrastructure for the centre while Smeda will construct building, install machinery and design training curricula.

Muslim Raza, Sindh chief of Smeda told Dawn that in India the glass industry was well developed and was manufacturing not only bangles but a wide variety of fine glass products including car headlights etc., while in Pakistan the glass industry had been confined to only bangle-making.

He said that the project was aimed at diversifying glass products so that income of the women working in this industry could be increased besides boosting exports of fine glass products to earn foreign exchange.

The Smeda official said that the centre would train women in manufacturing various glass products which would include car headlights, an important part of automobiles, to meet the rising local demand besides enhancing their export.

The SSIC, which develops and runs a network of small industrial estates all over the province, has reserved special quota of plots in this project for small and cottage industries and women are being encouraged to set up units there.