SMEs in Kanpur to receive community assistance

Over 5,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) spread across the city are set to get a boost as the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) development centre of the city has chalked out ambitious upgrade and improvement plans under the aegis of National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme.

MSME development director H P Jaiswal told Business Standard that the programme envisaged setting up of a community assistance centre for every sector of small enterprises, located at accessible point locations.

The centre will aid the industries with technical expertise and professional consultancy services at nominal fee and information regarding latest governmental promotional schemes.

“The initiative will aid towards creation of a better-equipped cluster and improving productivity with lesser inputs. Our focus is to generate industry and sector specific expertise at minimal costs, which can be passed on for commercial practice,” said Jaiswal.

The project is based on private-public partnership (PPP) model, wherein 60 per cent of the funds will be allocated by the government while the rest will be provided by the industrial bodies interested in joining the project.

A permanent team of experts stationed at the centres will be available to attend and resolve the problems faced by the industrialists.

“We will also impart industrial training to labourers, accountants and managers who will be trained by guest experts from New Delhi,” said Jaiswal.

There are several small and big clusters of hosiery, soap, leather, chemicals and plastic industries across the city, which will learn about better and cost-effective marketing skills to reach out the potential customers.

The scheme also envisages provision of arranging industrial machinery at economic costs, apart from developing innovative design solutions for better performance of the small units.

“We are also working upon providing product testing facilities for the small industry products to ensure international quality standards,” said Indian Industries Association (IIA) Regional President Sunil Vaishyad

Vaishya said that the new programme was expected to increase the production by at least 25 per cent within six months and enable the city products to compete better in the international market.

“Similar initiatives in China have worked meticulously in improving the share of SMEs in national exports and we hope to repeat the feat in Kanpur,” he added.