Centre plans 500 incubation centres to skill professionals

“Though 65 <g data-gr-id="32">per cent</g> of the Indian population is below 35 years of age, only two per cent of them are skilled. These incubation centres will provide technical knowledge to them to make them skilled professionals or entrepreneurs,” he told reporters here. These centres would be on the PPP model and initially Rs 200 crore would be allotted for setting them up, particularly in districts, he said.

He added that the Government wants to make the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector competitive through technological innovation. The government also plans to add 15 more tool rooms to the existing 18 by next year, Singh, who was here to inaugurate the five-day 16th edition of International Machine Tools and industrial Trade fair -INTEC 2015, said.

He said considering the fluctuation in inflation and hurdles being faced by the MSME sector, he had placed a bill in Parliament to increase the limits in three slabs -- from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore and Rs 10 crore to Rs 30 crore. But opposition parties are opposed to the Bill, which had been referred to Parliamentary Standing Committee, he said.

“However, we are committed to improve the condition of the MSME sector, which has 40 <g data-gr-id="49">per cent</g> share of industrial production in India, and take suggestions from opposing parties and also representatives of the industry to see the Bill through,” he said. While large industries with Rs 11 lakh crore investment provides employment to 1.25 crore people, the 5.77 lakh crore MSME sector units give employment to over 14 crore persons, he said.

As part of financial inclusion, Government has set up ‘Mudra Bank’ to support micro and small units in three levels and efforts are on to simplify or relax various rules, which are hurdles in the growth of the sector, he said. 

Singh said for the first time since Independence, the NDA government has mapped the industry at district level based on parameters like type of industry, products being made and marketing support, to understand the requirements and to increase contribution of MSME in industrial production.

As part of promoting and supporting MSMEs in procurement and availability of raw materials, Government has already made it mandatory for Defence, Railways and other public sector units (PSUs) to procure 20 <g data-gr-id="50">per cent</g> of their requirements from MSME sector, he said. Asked about support to create a consortium of MSMEs to supply the aerospace sector, which some associations said required an amendment to a particular rule, Singh said there are many rules and policies which sometimes become hurdles and added that the department would try to remove unnecessary bottlenecks for the benefit of the industry.

“There will be some <g data-gr-id="41">hurdles,</g> while taking <g data-gr-id="39">decision</g> in <g data-gr-id="40">defense</g> sector and those would be tackled,” Singh said. To a question on the remarks by K C Tyagi, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry that both UPA and NDA had failed to protect the sector, Singh said it was a ‘political statement.’

“You can ask him about various measures taken by the Narendra Modi <g data-gr-id="35">Governmment</g> to improve the status of industries. <g data-gr-id="30">Government</g> is trying its best to introduce <g data-gr-id="31">best</g> policy,” he said.