Over 100 SC/ST entrepreneurs sensitised about MSME schemes, public procurement, GeM registration, credit support and vendor opportunities.
Hoshiarpur - Punjab State Chapter of PHDCCI, in association with the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, organized the Entrepreneur Awareness & Special Vendor Development Programme (EA&SVDP) at Hoshiarpur.
The programme was organized with the objective of creating awareness among existing and aspiring SC/ST entrepreneurs about the various initiatives of the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, particularly the National SC-ST Hub (NSSH) Scheme, and to facilitate the participation of SC/ST-owned Micro and Small Enterprises in public procurement.
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.
Sh. 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. Deepak Sharma, Senior Trainer, GeM-Chandigarh; Sh. Gaurav Lamba, Executive Engineer, BBMB-Talwara; Sh. Gyanendra Kumar, SDO (Transportation), Mechanical Division, BBMB-Talwara; Sh. Simran Singh, Deputy Manager (Contracts), BHEL-Goindwal; Sh. Naveen Negi, Divisional Manager, FCI-Hoshiarpur; Sh. Raman Jain, Assistant Manager (MM), RCF-Kapurthala; Sh. Deepak Chechi, Assistant Director, MSME DFO-Ludhiana; Sh. Ashok Sood, Lead District Manager, Punjab National Bank; Sh. Praveen, Marketing Officer, Punjab National Bank, Hoshiarpur; Sh. Onkar Singh, Functional Manager, District Industries Centre, Hoshiarpur; Sh. Hansraj, Senior Instructor, ITI Hoshiarpur; and Ms. Gurjeet Kaur, Faculty, RSETI, Hoshiarpur.
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 Government e-Marketplace (GeM), 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 MSME, Banks, CPSEs and GeM covered financial assistance, vendor empanelment procedures, digital procurement and various government support services, thereby strengthening linkages within the MSME ecosystem.
PHDCCI Secretariat was represented by Mr. Sumit Kumar, Assistant Secretary, PHDCCI, and Mr. Gursharan Singh, Resident Officer, PHDCCI, who actively interacted with participants during the open-house discussion and addressed their queries.
The event witnessed the enthusiastic participation of more than 100 existing and aspiring SC/ST entrepreneurs from Hoshiarpur and nearby districts.