Odisha MSME dept urges Nalco to take up vendor development programmes

Wants at least four such programmes a year with special focus on development of women, SC/ST and differently-abled entrepreneurs

Odisha's MSME (micro, small & medium enterprises) department has asked National Aluminium Company (Nalco) to undertake vendor development programmes to boost local procurement. 

L N Gupta, additional chief secretary (MSME), Odisha, suggested that the navratna company undertake at least four vendor development programmes annually with special focus on development of women, SC/ST and differently-abled entrepreneurs. The suggestion was accepted by R K Mishra, executive director (smelter & power), Angul at Nalco.

Gupta chaired a meeting of the 'Udyog Samasya Samadhan Sibir' at Nalco's smelter & power (S&P) complex last Thursday. The meet was attended by 72 entrepreneurs.

Mishra informed that Nalco is purchasing material worth Rs 160 crore and services worth Rs 182 crore annually for the S&P complex. Purchase from MSMEs last year was worth Rs 29 crore. During the current year, Nalco has already procured material worth Rs 12 crore and services valued at Rs 57 crore from the vendors and suppliers in Odisha. Nalco has identified 180 items to be procured from the MSMEs.

Gupta urged the local industries associations and all the entrepreneurs present to accept the challenge for supplying maximum goods & services from Odisha. He also appealed to all the entrepreneurs to register their units under Udyog Aadhaar Memorandum (UAM), Government e-Market Place (GeM) and Zero Effect-Zero Defect (ZED). Around 20 entrepreneurs were exposed to the process of the registration on-line for UAM, GeM and ZED on the spot.