Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the officials of the Small Scale Industries Service Institute, Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Karnataka Department and Management of Small Scale Industries in Kumta Taluk for their help in our field survey. I am grateful to Dr. N. V. Joshi, Professor D. K. Subramanian and Professor Mallikarjuna Chetty for reviewing the manuscript and for useful suggestions. The fieldwork involved in this research was supported by the working expenses provided by our Institute.