Government to set up Incubation Centres in every district - MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra

INDUSTRY

Government to set up 

Incubation Centres in every district 

to promote entrepreneurship, 

says MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra

With a focus on self-employment as a key aspect of job creation, the government has chalked out an ambitious plan to set up Incubation Centres at all the districts across the country to ideate and train budding entrepreneurs.  Addressing a Press Conference after his visit to the Khadi& Village Industries Commission at Vile Parle, Mumbai, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Mr. Kalraj Mishra said the government has taken up the task of employment generation as one of the top priority areas. “Our government wants to implement policies that touch the lives of common man, and benefit the poor. Providing employment is one of the sure ways of freeing people from the clutches of poverty, and our focus is on the self-employment route” he said. Mr. Mishra described the task in hand as “berozgar se swarozgarkiyatra’( a journey from unemployment to self employment).

Emphasising on skill development, Mr. Mishra said it is a big challenge to meet the demands of the industry – small, medium or big, for manpower possessing skills appropriate for the jobs. He said, his Ministry is planning to set up 15 new Technology Centres to facilitate improved access to manufacturing technologies, availability of skilled manpower to micro, small and medium scale industries. 18 existing Technology Centre will be upgraded to meet the new challenge. Systems are also being put in place to impart industry related skill training for unskilled manpower to better their employment prospects, he added.

The Minister further said, the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development, NIESBUD, Noida has been conducting short duration entrepreneurship development programmes for youth to set up their own enterprises.

The Minister informed that the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)  has been among the flagship schemes of the Ministry of MSME.  Under PMEGP, any project in the manufacturing sector with capital investment uptoRs 25 lakhs and in the services sector uptoRs 10 lakhs is eligible for assistance under the scheme. The assistance is in the form of margin money subsidy for mobilizing bank credit. 25% subsidy is available for general beneficiaries, while women and beneficiaries from SC/ST get 35% subsidy. Khadi& Village Industries Commission is the nodal agency for implementing PMEGP. The scheme has provided self-employment opportunities to more than 20 lakh people.

Mr. Kalraj Mishra also stressed on making Khadi a ‘Brand of India’. He said many initiatives have been taken to popularize Khadi among youth.  He informed that many leading fashion designers have also been roped in to give Khadi clothes a contemporary look. The Minister during his review meeting with the officials of KVIC asked them to prepare an elaborate, time-bound action plan to revitalize the sector, with emphasis on promotion of the Khadi brand.  He asked the Commission to keep the welfare of the weaver in mind while formulating its growth strategies.

Earlier, the Minister flagged off a Mobile Van to promote Khadi products and inaugurated the renovated building of the KhadiGramodyogBhavan.

Revamped SFURTI notified

In the meantime, government has notified the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) with modified norms for continuation upto 2017.  Under SFURTI it is proposed to develop 800 clusters across the country with funding from Government and the Asian Development Bank.  Under Revamped SFURTI there shall be three types of clusters involving artisans from 500-2500. The Heritage Clusters will have 1000-2500 artisans, Major clusters will have 500-1000 artisans and Mini clusters having upto 500 artisans.