It was for the first time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched new schemes of the MSME Ministry at a function at ludhiana. The owners of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMBs), entrepreneurs in Khadi as well as Coir sector also got enthused because of the awards given by the Prime Minister to them.
The awards were given to MSMEs for outstanding performance in Outstanding Entrepreneurship, Product/Process Innovation, lean Manufacturing Techniques and Quality Products, Khadi and village industries sector, Coir industries sector and to banks excellence in lending to Micro and Small Enterprises. Special awards were also given to honour one Outstanding Woman entrepreneur, one SC/ST entrepreneur and one from NER in the category of outstanding entrepreneurship awards for small enterprises. Selection of the awardees is made on the basis of the set criteria exclusively designed to evaluate performance of the MSMEs.
Prime Minister also launched National Scheduled Caste/ Tribes Hub at ludhiana on 18th September, 2016. The SC/ST Hub provides support to SC/ST entrepreneurs under public procurement to achieve a target of four per cent procurement in all Central Ministries and CPSEs from SC/ST owned enterprises. A High Powered Monitoring Committee under Minister for MSME and an Advisory Committee under Chairman, DICCI Milind Kamble and an Empowered Project Approval Committee under Secretary, MSME has been constituted. These committees have met twice. The SC/ST Hub has launched special schemes for marketing support, subsidy for single point registration and credit ratings and capital investment. A scheme of 25% capital investment subsidy for manufacturing sector upto a cap of Rs25 lakhs has been approved. 30 number of Special Vendor Development Programmes have been organized with participation of 1448 SC/ST entrepreneurs with CPSEs.
Modi launched ZED (Zero Defect Zero Effect) scheme under which the Ministry plans to assess 22,000 units to get themselves rated for Zero Defect Zero Effect. ZED certification will be in five categories viz. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum. The rated SMEs will get better business opportunities.
The scheme envisages promotion of Zero Defects and Zero Effect (ZED) manufacturing amongst MSMEs and ZED Assessment for their certification.
The scheme is an extensive drive to create proper awareness in MSMEs about ZED manufacturing and motivate them for assessment of their enterprise for ZED and support them. After ZED assessment and adoption of proper other tools, MSMEs can reduce wastages substantially, increase productivity, expand their market as IOPs, Vendors to CPSUs, more IPRs, development of new products and processes etc. Under the scheme 22,222 MSMEs will be accredited under ZED Maturity Assessment model and certification, 5,000 MSMEs will be accredited under ZED Defence certification, 7368 MSMEs will be supported for Gap Analysis, Handholding, Consultancy for their improving rating of MSMEs, etc.