Haryana to address SME concerns through new cluster-based policy

Realising the adverse impact of the slowdown on micro, small and medium enterprises, the Haryana government’s new Industrial and Investment Policy-2011 aims to give the state’s MSMEs a fresh lease of life through the adoption of a cluster-based approach.

The state government estimates the number of MSMEs in Haryana at more than 80,000. Industrialists in the state complain that MSMEs are victims of neglect.

Senior officials in the state industry department say the state government is trying to assist MSMEs to become globally competitive by providing an e-governance system and developing clusters, which will facilitate the provision of institutional support to industrial units.

Even though there was a provision for a cluster-based approach in the industrial policy of 2005, officials maintain that no concrete roadmap had been laid, and so there was no progress in that direction.

However, this time, officials maintain that a roadmap has been drawn up to indicate how to proceed in the cluster-based development approach. This time 10-12 sectors have been identified where cluster development will be targeted.

These will seek financial support from the ministry of MSME under various schemes available for small units.

The clusters will meet the requirement for common facilities such as product design and development, quality certification, laboratory testing and effluent treatment.

Individual SMEs lack the resources to invest in facilities like product designing and marketing networks; the cluster approach is expected to take care of this.

Steps have already been initiated to set up such clusters for scientific instruments at Ambala, light engineering goods at Faridabad and the handloom industry at Panipat.

Besides this, an e-governance system for efficient delivery of services and the development of a content-rich portal for dissemination of information to MSMEs have also been planned.