The Hindu Business Line : Nisiet plans IPR support to SSIs

The National Institute of Small Industries Extension Training (NISIET) plans to diversify into providing intellectual property rights (IPR) support to SSIs and take up programmes on globalisation.

It will also consolidate its expertise in small industry cluster development and go more global with its consultancy projects, according to the Nisiet Principal Director, Mr Chukka Kondaiah.

Having trained over 6,000 executives from most of the developing countries over the years, the Institute is confident that it can offer consultancy services in entrepreneurship and building small business enterprises and clusters to several countries.

Nisiet is in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to pitch for projects, he told newspersons.

Cluster development, training programmes, and retraining of employees who took voluntary retirement from Government organisations, have shored up revenues for Nisiet, which earned a record Rs 8.35 crore in 2005-06, up from Rs 6.79 crore the previous fiscal.

Nodal agency

Having achieved self-sufficiency in 2001-02, the Institute - started in 1960 - has been identified as a nodal agency for assisting the khadi and rural industries cluster. It would be responsible for about 100 clusters.

Similarly, the Union Handlooms Development Commissioner has made Nisiet the nodal agency for 40 handloom clusters, Mr Kondaiah said.

In consultancy, Nisiet is executing a sponsored project for the North-East States with emphasis on developing small enterprises. Currently, there is very little entrepreneurship and industry in several States in the region.

In Andhra Pradesh, it has been asked by the SSI Department to do a study on incipient sickness in the small-scale industry and suggest measures, which have been done, he said.

After a gap of 16 years, Nisiet will be offering its orientation programme for IAS officers from September.

It has also launched post-graduate diploma programmes in eight areas - including retail management, tourism and hospitality, foreign trade, logistics, and HR management.