The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) organised a Mega event (Conclave) at Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday to promote entrepreneurship culture and spread awareness of National SC-ST Hub and other schemes of the Ministry.

The conclave focussed on MSMEs through its various sessions provided a much-needed platform for aspiring/existing entrepreneurs to interact with Government departments from Central and State governments, CPSEs and Industry Associations.

Addressing the Conclave, Minister Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma emphasized the significant role of the MSME Sector in the Indian economy in terms of its contribution to GDP and overall exports from India.

Union Minister stated that MSMEs not only provide huge employment opportunities but also help in the industrialization of rural & backward areas. He also highlighted the potential of various schemes of the Government to empower the MSME Sector and said that through this conclave, the SC/ST entrepreneurs from the State will explore innovative ideas, business opportunities and avail maximum benefits of these schemes.

At the conclave, Mercy Epao, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME briefed on the various initiatives implemented under National SC-ST Hub scheme for SC/ST entrepreneurs along with other major schemes of the Ministry. She urged all the participants to avail benefits under the various initiatives of the Ministry of MSME.

Minister of State for Social Welfare, Scheduled Caste & Tribal Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Sanjeev Kumar Gond, spoke about the importance of entrepreneurship and various initiatives taken up by the Government of Uttar Pradesh towards the social-economic, educational and financial upliftment of the SC-ST population of the state.

He emphasized on the vision of the Chief Minister of the State in accelerating the economy towards USD 1 trillion.

At the conclave, a special technical session with CPSEs, banks and lending institutions was also held providing an interactive platform for aspiring and existing SC-ST entrepreneurs.

The CPSEs like Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (DVVNL), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPICL), North Central Railway, IOCL, BHEL, GAIL, Bundelkhand Saur Urja Limited (BSUL), National Fertilizers Limited gave presentations on their vendor empanelment process and shared the details of products/services that can be procured from SC-ST owned MSEs.

Financial institutions such as SIDBI, IFCI Venture Capital Fund and Indian Bank, were also present at the conclave which detailed various lending schemes pertaining to the MSME sector.