SC/ST entrepreneurs sensitised on government procurement opportunities, Udyam Registration, GeM portal, financial assistance and MSME support scheme.
Patiala, 18 july - Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, National SC ST Hub Ludhiana and PHDCCI organized the Entrepreneur Awareness & Special Vendor Development Programme (EA&SVDP) at Patiala.
The programme was organized with the objective of creating awareness among existing and aspiring SC/ST entrepreneurs and facilitate the participation of SC/ST-owned Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in public procurement.
Delivering the Welcome Address, Ms. Bharti Sood, Senior Regional Director, PHDCCI, emphasized the importance of empowering SC/ST entrepreneurs through awareness, capacity building, and access to government support mechanisms. She highlighted PHDCCI’s continued commitment to working closely with the Ministry of MSME and other stakeholders to create greater opportunities for MSMEs and to promote inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship across the region.
Surya Bhushan, Branch Incharge, National SC-ST Hub, Ludhiana, highlighted the objectives of the National SC-ST Hub Scheme and elaborated on the Public Procurement Policy of the Government of India, which mandates 4% procurement from SC/ST-owned MSEs and 3% procurement from Women-owned MSEs, emphasizing the significant opportunities available for entrepreneurs from these segments.
The programme was graced by Sh. Pankaj Jha, Joint Director, MSME DFO, Ludhiana; Sh. Peyush Chaturvedi, Deputy Director/P&D (PP), BBMB Chandigarh; Ms. Harkiranjit Kaur, Deputy Director/P&D (TS), BBMB Chandigarh; Sh. Harmandeep Singh, Manager (Contracts), FCI Patiala; Sh. Sampurananand Mishra, Junior Manager (MM), ALIMCO Kanpur; Sh. Saurabh Awasthi, Junior Assistant (MM), ALIMCO Kanpur; Sh. Manish Kumar, Manager (Contracts), IOCL Panipat Refinery; Sh. Deepak Sharma, Senior Trainer, GeM Chandigarh; Sh. Yash Kumar Garg, AGM, SBI LHO Patiala; Sh. Ashok Kumar Bansal, Chief Manager, SBI LHO Patiala; Sh. Ranjeet Singh, IPRO, District Industries Centre, Patiala; Sh. Krishan Kumar Chaudhary, Chartered Accountant, ICAI Patiala; Sh. Amritpal, Assistant District Manager, Punjab Scheduled Castes Finance Corporation, Patiala; Sh. Hardeep Singh Rai, Faculty, RSETI Patiala; and Sh. Ajitender Singh, Faculty, RSETI
Patiala.
Participants were sensitized about the various schemes of the Ministry of MSME, the benefits of formalizing enterprises through Udyam Registration, vendor registration procedures, documentation requirements, procurement opportunities available with CPSEs, the e-tendering process, credit facilitation mechanisms, and subsidy support available through banks for business expansion and sustainability.
The programme also provided a valuable platform for direct interaction between existing and aspiring entrepreneurs and representatives from CPSEs, financial institutions, MSME organizations and other support agencies. Technical sessions conducted by experts from MSMEs, banks, CPSEs and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) covered financial assistance, vendor empanelment procedures, digital procurement, and various government support services, thereby strengthening linkages within the MSME ecosystem.