The Hindu Business Line : SIDBI supports Karaikudi jewellery artisans’ co

Madurai, Aug. 2 Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is promoting an export-oriented private limited company put up by jewellery artisans at Karaikudi, Mr.R.M.Malla, Chairman and Managing Director, SIDBI, has said.

Speaking to Business Line, the Chairman said that SIDBI has plans to establish a common centre with manufacturing and testing facilities for modern jewellery making at a cost of around Rs 70 lakhs–Rs 80 lakhs at Karaikudi as more artisans with traditional skills are present in the region. SIDBI will arrange a meeting of jewellery exporters from Mumbai and other places.

Speaking further, he said that there has been good response to rating of small and medium enterprises with the establishment of Small And Medium Enterprises Rating Agency (SMERA) in 2005.

A joint venture between SIDBI, Commercial Banks and Dun And Bradstreet, the move has enabled SMEs to get rated and secure concessional rate of interest from banks. SIDBI has entered into an MoU with 21 commercial banks for the purpose.

With the extension of subsidy for rating, the charges become much less and so far, 721 units have been rated with Tamil Nadu accounting for 232 of them. More than 1,000 applications are under scrutiny and they would be cleared in another three months, he said.

Referring to rural industrialisation programme (RIP) implemented by SIDBI, he further said that the scheme is under implementation in 68 districts across 24 States in the country and has generated employment for more than one lakh persons.

In Tamil Nadu, the programme is implemented in the districts of Salem, Erode, Namakkal and Sivagangai and 584 units have been set up with 3,015 beneficiaries. As soon as nodal agencies are identified, the programme would be extended to 100 districts, he said.

On the formation of industrial clusters, the Chairman mentioned that five clusters have already been formed — Jamshedpur in engineering, Nasik in steel, Kochi in rubber, Baddi in Uttar Pradesh in engineering and Ahemedabad in pharmeceuticals. Four more in auto and textiles each are coming up, in which Chennai for auto and Erode for textiles, are included, he added.

Mr Malla participated in a training programme for jewellery artisans, organized by SIDBI and inaugurated by Union Finance Minister, Mr P.Chidambaram.

More Stories on : Gems & Jewellery | Exports & Imports | SSI | Tamil Nadu

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page