Role of Management for Sustainable Development of Stone Industries in India-An Overview

Abstract

After a period of widespread use of artificial materials in construction engineering, natural stone is now gaining increasing popularity, not only for relevant architecture but also for industrialized building, face and floor cladding, urban fitting, road paving, interior decoration and manufacturing of design items. India is one of the leading countries in this sector, accounting for about one-tenth of the overall production (between marble and granite) and for more than one fifth of stone processing output. Moreover, machineries and equipment make in India are exported all over the world. Stone quarrying and processing activities have recently been involved in an impressive technological progress characterized by implementation of advanced cutting technologies followed by the use of powerful material handling equipment. The development of complex stone working machinery and the application of sophisticated management tools resulting in a spectacular increase of productive parameters accompanied by a substantial improvement of material quality. At the same time pit geometry (size of faces, extension of the working areas), quarry design, plant layout and operations management had modified taking advantages of advancement of technologies, knowledge and availability of high skill manpower.