ABSTRACT
Technological innovations and adoption may take place under varied social conditions provided that suitable organizational forms are developed. A short description of the database followed by a brief account of the clusters, variations in technology as existing at present and the pattern of changes over the last two decades, across clusters. Some implications of technological change for income and employment are also discussed. The chapter explores the reasons for the variations in the adoption of technology across clusters in each industry. One important feature of changes in the handloom industry has been that the clusters in which merchants were predominant and were operating with the petty producers through a putting-out system a significant improvement in the production system was witnessed. Important clusters of cotton weaving, silk weaving and conch shell product industries have been identified at the first instance. A field survey was conducted in 1992 for the reference year 1991 – 1992 based on purposive sampling.
