MSME ministry targets onboarding 500,000 micro, small enterprises on ONDC

Addressing an event on International MSME Day, Manjhi said MSMEs will be a key force in the movement towards Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat

The government on Thursday launched an initiative to facilitate onboarding of 5,00,000 micro and small enterprises on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.

The initiative, titled ‘MSME TEAM’, was launched by Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Jitan Ram Manjhi. It will provide financial assistance for onboarding, cataloguing, account management, logistics, packaging material, and design.

“Half of these beneficiary MSMEs will be women-owned enterprises,” the ministry said in a statement on International MSME Day.

Addressing an event, Manjhi said that MSMEs will be a key force in the movement towards ‘Atmanirbhar’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Manjhi said that his ministry has identified six priority areas. They are formalisation and access to credit; increased access to markets and e-commerce adoption; increased productivity through modern technology; enhanced skill levels and digitalisation in the service sector; support to Khadi Village and Coir industry to globalise them; and empowerment of women and artisans through enterprise creation.

The minister also launched the Yashasvini campaign for mass awareness aimed at formalising women-owned informal micro-enterprises. It will provide capacity building, training, handholding, and mentorship to these enterprises.

“A series of campaigns will be organised by the Ministry of MSME in collaboration with other Central Ministries/Departments/State Governments and Women Industry Associations during FY24-25, focusing on tier 2 and 3 cities in the country,” the ministry said in the release.

Manjhi highlighted the need for adopting digital and technological solutions by MSMEs in a rapidly changing industrial landscape. He mentioned that legal reforms in the MSME sector, as part of ongoing government reforms, will act as a force multiplier.

The event was also attended by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for MSME Shobha Karandlaje; World Bank Country Director Auguste Tano Kouame; India International Arbitration Centre Chairperson Justice (Retd.) Hemant Gupta; law secretary Rajiv Mani; and MSME secretary S.C.L. Das.