Stressing on promoting the SC/ST entrepreneurship, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gave a call to use khadi products. He, in fact, urged the people to “buy khadi” during the ongoing festive season to “help poor families”.
“Buy khadi this Diwali so that the poor who spin the charkha can celebrate,” he said while addressing a programme of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) at ludhiana’s Punjab Agriculture University.
Emphasising on the need to promote Khadi industry, Modi said that there was a time when Khadi was used as a tool in fight for Independence now it should be used for fashion.
“See how well Khadi is marketed now. Earlier it was only ‘Khadi for nation’, now it’s also ‘Khadi for fashion’. Use khadi products,” he stressed.
Maintaining that SC/ST entrepreneurship should be promoted, Modi said: “This sense of entrepreneurship among Dalits will benefit all. There are youth whose dreams are to create enterprises and jobs.”
Modi, exhorting small businesses to make products with “zero defect” and “zero effect” on environment, said that India can play a major role in providing strength to global economy that is facing slowdown. “For India’s economic progress, the MSME sector is crucial,” he said.
“I urge entrepreneurs that they participate in ZED (zero defect, zero effect) movement. At least 10 lakh units should come forward. We have set 50 parameters to meet ZED certification standard. Please enable yourself to comply with those,” said Modi while addressing at National Award function for MSME.
Modi also launched ZED Certification Scheme for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and SC/ST Hub for providing support to entrepreneurs at industrial town of ludhiana. He stressed that MSME was crucial for India’s economy and said “our aim should be to target the global markets”.
“ludhiana is an important economic hub. It is natural to launch a scheme related to MSME here. I am seeing a mini-India in front of me. For our economic development, MSME sector is crucial. We must target the global market,” he said.
He also assured the workers and officials engaged in the MSME sector of all support from the central government.
With an initial outlay of Rs 490 crore, the Hub will work towards strengthening market access or linkage, monitoring, capacity building, leveraging financial support schemes and sharing industry-best practices.
Modi also went around an exhibition and tried his hand at a charkha.
After giving national awards to MSMEs, he said that the Central Government was working to give boost to small and medium enterprises.
Noting that India aim should be to target global markets, Modi told the entrepreneurs that Government stands shoulder to shoulder with them to relise this aim. “Despite two earlier years, when there was drought and when agriculture production dropped considerably, it was the manufacturing sector, especially MSMEs, which ensured that country had a steady economic growth rate,” he said.
On promoting Khadi, Modi said that the sector provide self-employment opportunities, especially to women, and helps to realise Mahatma Gandhi’s dream to strengthen rural economy.
Modi, who visited a Khadi stall, said that he was impressed to see the changes in the quality of Khadi and its packaging.
Modi appealed to the people to buy more and more Khadi products including during festivals like Diwali, and make Khadi part of one’s wardrobe. “Be it tribals or Dalits, they too have bigger aspirations and need of the hour is to provide them right opportunities…If they get opportunity, they can contribute even more to change the fortunes of our country,” he said adding that the SC/ST entrepreneurship has to be promoted and given a boost.
About ZED scheme, he said that times have undergone a change and common consumer is not willing to make compromise on quality.
He also asked the small and medium entrepreneurs to look beyond Indian markets saying that our aim should be to adopt global standard in quality control and make our presence felt in international markets.
Modi also said that how one used to blindly trust when one found “Made in Japan” mentioned on any product, because of the global standard in quality which that nation had adopted.
“Can’t we have the same identity for Make in India products. We have to move ahead with this dream,” he said, adding that it was also important how we package our products. He also said, “Our new generation wants to innovate and take bold steps. New products will have to be introduced and Start up supports innovation.”
MODI DISTRIBUTES 500 CHARKHAS
Prime Minister Modi also distributed 500 traditional wooden charkhas to women spinners belonging to the five local Khadi institutions.
The charkhas have been given by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), and the women spinners have been selected from different areas of Punjab.
The Prime Minister also went around an exhibition and tried his hand at a charkha.
A total of 500 charkhas will help create direct employment at the doorstep of these villagers, claimed the KVIC.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, speaking on the occasion, said that the distribution of charkhas will help in income generation for these families.