The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India organized National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) Conclave at Dawrpui Multipurpose Centre, Aizawl, Mizoram on 15th October 2022 to promote entrepreneurship culture and spread awareness of the NSSH Scheme and other Schemes of the Ministry. Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Higher & Technical Education, Commerce & Industry, Government of Mizoram, Dr. R Lalthangliana was the Chief Guest of the programme which was also attended by Ms. Esther Lalruatkimi, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries, Govt. of Mizoram along with other dignitaries. The event saw a participation of more than 300 SC-ST entrepreneurs.
Ms. Mercy Epao, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India welcomed all the dignitaries and participants in the programme. She said, for inclusive growth, Ministry of MSME implements the National SC-ST Hub Scheme with an objective of creating an ecosystem for SC/ST entrepreneurs and handholding them to participate in the public procurement to reach 4% mandate as per the public procurement policy. The welcome address was followed by keynote address by Shri B B Swain, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India. In his address, Shri Swain spoke in depth about the concerted efforts of the Ministry of MSME to augment the capacity and promote MSMEs and entrepreneurship culture in India.
Chief Guest Dr. Lalthangliana, motivated the NSSH scheme beneficiaries by felicitating them and inspiring the aspiring entrepreneurs present at the program. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Lalthangliana said “It will be heartening to see SC-ST entrepreneurs from Mizoram leverage benefits offered under NSSH and various other schemes of Ministry of MSME. He urged the participants to interact with the representatives from various organizations participating in the Conclave and discuss about the opportunities that can be leveraged by them.” He also said that it is imperative for the State Government to work hand in hand with the Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India to scale-up the growth of the MSME sector of the State.
The programme provided an interactive platform for aspiring and existing SC-ST entrepreneurs to interact with CPSEs, lending institutions, GeM, RSeti, etc. It also witnessed the participation of CPSEs like Food Corporation of India, Power Grid Corporation Limited, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. who gave presentations on their vendor empanelment process and details of products/services to be procured. The program also had financial institutions such as UCO Bank, State Bank of India, North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) which detailed various lending schemes pertaining to the MSME sector. Other government organizations like GeM, RSETI etc. also participated in the program and presented their various schemes to assist MSMEs. The program also had facilitation desks of UDYAM Registration and GeM for facilitating registrations of SC/ST MSE participants on the spot.
Nurturing the MSME sector is important for the economic well-being of the nation. Government is consistently working to empower MSMEs for sustainable growth and to become compatible in the global value chain. These types of State level conclaves assist SC/ST MSMEs to expand their horizons by incorporating new ideas as they become aware of the various interventions given by the Government.