According to a press release, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) organised a programme on Technology Support and Outreach (TECH-SOP) in New Delhi.
The objective of the programme was to educate MSMEs about the latest technological innovations currently available in the market.
During the event, MSMEs were able to explore the role of technology in building a competitive ecosystem and creating better opportunities.
Various research and development institutions around the country have developed technologies relevant to MSMEs sustainable growth. The Ministry, through TECH-SOP, aims to bridge the gap between research and development institutions and MSMEs and equip them with state-of-the-art technologies, which will help them become part of the global value chain.
Representatives from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Institute for Design of Electrical Measuring Instruments (IDEMI, Mumbai), and IIT-Delhi were present at the event.
An “India Green Tech Open Challenge” was also launched to encourage MSMEs to adopt sustainable and green technologies.
The government has been working to support the MSME sector in the country over the last few years through initiatives like the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA), the Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), and the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for MSEs (CGTMSE) that have led to credit growth recovery.
In 2018, the Prime Minister launched a MSME Support and Outreach Programme. As part of this programme, 12 key initiatives related to the growth, expansion, and facilitation of MSMEs were launched. These initiatives were based on the five key aspects to facilitate the sector. These include access to credit, access to market, technology upgradation, ease of doing business, and sense of security for employees.
Furthermore, earlier this month, OpenGov reported that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Upgradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS), with a total outlay of about US $407.4 million.
The scheme set out to boost the competitiveness of MSMEs by integrating ongoing technology upgradation efforts, increasing productivity through waste reduction, and promoting cloud computing.
Also, the Telangana’s state government recently announced the launch of a digital platform for MSMEs. The digital networking site is a collaborative project and offers several benefits to MSME members such as digitisation, an e-commerce store, and access to business efficiency tools that will enable the state’s MSMEs to connect to a global community of small and large enterprises.
The platform will also allow MSMEs to create a digital profile for their business, connect with other global MSMEs, enable them to find buyers and suppliers, gain visibility, and receive up-to-date industry trends and news.
The development of MSMEs has economic benefits. MSMEs are an important part of the economy and contribute significantly to GDP, exports, industrial output, and employment generation. In fact, according to a report, small and medium units have the potential to take US $70 billion in formal credit from banks.