Providing a solid platform for SC/ST entrepreneurs

State conclave on National SC-ST Hub held at Jipmer

Extending opportunities: Delegates taking part in the State conclave on National SC-ST Hub at Jipmer auditorium on Saturday.

In a bid to encourage Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises belonging to the SC/ST community, a State conclave on National SC-ST Hub (NSSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), was held at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) auditorium here on Saturday.

According to a release, the objective of the programme is to bring different stakeholders, including Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSEs), industry associations and State government on a single platform.

P.G.S. Rao, director, Ministry of MSME, said the scheme was launched with the aim to creating a supportive ecosystem for SC/ST entrepreneurs by assisting them in capacity building and thereby enabling them to effectively participate in public procurement process.

The scheme is organically linked to the Public Procurement Policy, 2012 of the Government of India which states that 20% of total procurement of goods and services by Central Ministries, Departments and CPSEs shall be made from MSMEs and 20% of such procurement (4% of total) from MSMEs shall be made from SC and ST owned units. The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), a Mini-ratna under the Ministry of MSME, is the implementing agency for the Scheme of NSSH, he said.

The Ministry of MSME designs policies and promotes/ facilitates programmes, projects and schemes and monitors their implementation with a view to assisting MSMEs and helping them to scale up.

The conclave in Puducherry provided excellent opportunity to develop coherence with State Governments and collaborate with National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) to achieve the larger objective. It also brought various important insights from CPSEs, Industry Association and Incubators to understand the gaps in realising the mandate of Public Procurement Policy and put forth innovative strategies for holistic development of MSEs owned by SC/ST Entrepreneurs.

Priytarshny, Director cum Additional Secretary, Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Puducherry, Sunil Zode, Chairman, Indian Chamber of Commerce for Affirmative Action (ICCAA), Mumbai and R. Elangovan, president, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, (DICCI), Puducherry Chapter participated.