Gem and jewellery promotion body conducts seminar for small entrepreneurs and karigars in the industry
The seminar was conducted to create awareness about various schemes available for MSMEs and through NSIC; and to inform them about banking procedures and documentation, export-import procedures, and more.
The Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), an apex body of the gems and jewellery industry by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, held a seminar in Kolhapur recently to apprise small entrepreneurs and karigars within the gems and jewellery industry on various schemes.
The seminar was conducted to create awareness about various schemes available for MSMEs and through the National Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC); and to inform them about banking procedures and documentation, export-import procedures; the Cluster Development Programme; Common Facility Centres; Lean Manufacturing Competitiveness scheme; as well as about the benefits of becoming members of the GJEPC, and its health insurance and Parichay Card schemes.
In total, 150 members attended the seminar, which was addressed by various speakers.
Mithilesh Pandey, Director, Head Membership, GJEPC, spoke about GJEPC’s Parichay Card, health insurance schemes, benefits of becoming members of GJEPC; and benefits available to the MSME sector and Udyog Aadhar registration, how to avail of them and whom to approach for the same. He said,
The Parichay Card is issued to karigars and non-members to map their skills that would enable the GJEPC to create a database, which would be useful for the jewellers and karigars as and when employment opportunities arose.”
Shelkhe, GM of DIC, Kolhapur, touched upon areas such as Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Seed Money Scheme, and District Industries Centre Loan Scheme for unemployed youth and new entrepreneurs. He said, “There is a gold loan scheme attracting only four percent interest, and for availing of such loans, a balance sheet and guarantee should be provided.”
He also said that under the MSME Cluster Development Programme (CDP Scheme) the Central government can provide a fund of up to Rs 15 crore, and the State government can provide funds upto Rs 10 crore. This would be applicable when a minimum of 30 units come together to form a cluster, equipped with high-end machinery that they cannot afford individually.
The seminar also shed light on loan subsidies where for women entrepreneurs there is a 30 percent subsidy on loans providing at least 50 percent employees of the firm are women. Similarly, there is a 30 percent subsidy available for entrepreneurs from the SC/ST category.
The GJEPC aims to boost the country’s export thrust and at present, represents 6,000 exporters in the sector.
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