National Institute of Design to be set up in Rajasthan

The central government has decided to set up a National Institute of Design (NID) in Rajasthan, union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday.

"Design, just as innovation, is the backbone of the industry... the government has agreed to set up an NID in Rajasthan," she said at the valedictory session of 'Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership Summit 2015' here.

Sitharaman asked Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to decide the site in Rajasthan for NID, which would offer under-graduate and post-graduate courses in trades like designing in textiles, apparels and furniture and interiors.

Sitharaman said the central government would also establish four new NIDs at Kurukshetra (Haryana), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Jorhat (Asaam), and Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh).

The minister applauded the state for ranking sixth this year in the World Bank's report on ease of doing business.

She said she hoped that Rajasthan would improve its ranking next year with the adoption of more investor-friendly policies.

Sitharaman said the upcoming Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project would benefit Rajasthan immensely.

Urging the state exporters to avail of interest subsidy announced by the government, she said, "The ministry will give three percent interest subvention to exports from small and medium industries."