Two-day national workshop on MSME concludes in J&K

Srinagar, Mar 14 (PTI) A two-day national workshop on design components under the MSME innovative scheme to generate new knowledge, build infrastructure and educate entrepreneurs concluded here on Tuesday.

The workshop was organised by the Union MSME Ministry through Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (IIEDC), National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar and Br MSME DFO Srinagar at SKICC here.

“This is a two-day national workshop for micro, small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurs and innovators. The aim is that the manufacturers, MSMEs should benefit from the MSME ministry schemes,” Saad Pervez, head of IIEDC, told PTI.

He said the workshop provides a platform to MSMEs for design intervention by NIT faculty, top institutions across the country and top designers by rethinking and redesigning products to help them grow in the market.

Under the scheme, up to 70 per cent financial assistance, with a maximum cap of Rs 40 lakh, will the provided by the Union Ministry, he added.

“This workshop will help MSMEs a lot. The business scenario is changing and today innovation and businesses move forward together. It is very difficult to grow unless you have innovation in business,” Assistant Director in the Ministry of MSME, Srinagar office, Saheel Alaqband said.

He said the MSME intervention scheme has three components incubation, design and protecting IPR rights.

“In incubation, up to Rs 15 lakh are given as grants to develop a new innovative product, which can be commercialised. In design, we do design interventions and a 70 per cent subsidy is provided. In the IPR component, the ministry of MSME will give protection through IPR rights for your product. The financial support is provided by the Ministry of MSME,” Alaqband said.

In the national-level workshop, students, innovators and entrepreneurs are being made aware of the importance of design in products, Head of the department, department of design, IIT Roorke, Inderdeep Singh, said.

“They are also being told about the government schemes to benefit their businesses in which thrust is on design,” he said.

The entrepreneurs in Kashmir said the workshop was beneficial and such events should be held more often.

“This session has been informative. I am starting a business of hand-made organic soaps for adults. But, a session on the ‘role of design in starting a toy business’ helped me get an idea about manufacturing baby soaps in toy shapes, which are not available in the market. Whatever is available in the market is detergent-based, which is not good for kids. So, this event broadens your scope of thinking,” Sana Aftab, an entrepreneur, said.

She said the workshop was very beneficial for the new-gen entrepreneurs.

“Not only was there information, but also handholding which is very rare in a place like Kashmir. So, more such events should take place to help the youngsters who have innovative ideas, but do not have experts to give them a shape,” she said.