Towards cleaner technologies in small and micro enterprises: a process-based case study of foundry industry in India

In 1991, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) established a program to support developing countries in protecting the global environment. In collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, SDC India selected the foundry industry as one of the prominent areas in which to introduce environment-friendly technologies. In this paper, we focus on the process by which the SDC–TERI partnership developed and demonstrated an energy-efficient divided-blast cupola (DBC) and a highly effective pollution control device. We also discuss the measures taken to aid replication of these technologies, and to improve the socio-economic conditions of foundry workers.