India’s Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) has decided to implement various schemes through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), the nodal agency for promotion of cluster development for khadi, and Coir Board to generate rural employment and to promote the entrepreneurs in the rural areas of the country…
1. Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a credit linked subsidy scheme, for setting up of new micro-enterprises and to generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas of the country through KVIC, State Khadi & Village Industries Board (KVIB) and District Industries Centre (DIC). General category beneficiaries can avail of margin money subsidy of 25% of the project cost in rural areas and 15% in urban areas. For beneficiaries belonging to special categories such as SC/ST/Women/PH/Minorities/Ex-Servicemen/NER, the margin money subsidy is 35% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas. The maximum cost of projects is Rs. 25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and Rs. 10 lakh in the service sector.
2. Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) helps in making traditional industries more productive and competitive by organizing the traditional industries and artisans into clusters.
3. Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE) aims to promote Innovation & Rural Entrepreneurship through rural Livelihood Business Incubator (LBI), Technology Business Incubator (TBI) and Fund of Funds for start-up creation.
4. Market Promotion Development Assistance (MPDA) has been formed by merging different schemes/sub-schemes/components of different Heads implemented in the 11th Plan, namely, Market Development Assistance, Publicity, Marketing and Market Promotion. A new component of Infrastructure namely setting up of Marketing Complexes/Khadi Plazas has been added to expand the marketing net worth of Khadi & VI products. Under the erstwhile MDA scheme financial assistance was distributed amongst Producing Institutions (30%), Selling Institutions (45%) and Artisans (25%). Under the Modified MDA (MMDA) financial assistance is distributed amongst Producing Institutions (20%), Selling Institutions (40%) and Artisans (40%).
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5. Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC) Scheme provides credit at concessional rate of interest through Banks as per the requirement of the Khadi institutions. The institutions are required to pay interest of only 4%, any interest charged by banks over 4% will be paid by Central Government through KVIC.
6. Workshed Scheme for Khadi Artisans provides financial assistance for construction of work shed to khadi artisans belonging to BPL category through the khadi institutions with which the khadi artisans are associated. This empowers khadi spinners and weavers to chart out a sustainable path for growth, income generation and better work environment.
7. Strengthening infrastructure of weak Khadi institutions and assistance for marketing infrastructure: This scheme provides need-based support towards the Khadi sector for nursing the sick/problematic institutions elevated from “D” to “C” category as well as those whose production, sales and employment have been declining while they have potential to attain normalcy and to support creation of marketing infrastructure in other identified outlets. Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided to existing weak Khadi institutions for strengthening of their infrastructure and for renovation of selected khadi sales outlets.
