Dalit entrepreneurs do not expect any concessions. They only want equal opportunities, support, guidance and hand-holding, Milind Kamble, Chairman, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told members of the Confederation of Indian Industry here.

Participating in a CII-DICCI buyer-seller meet, he said earlier dalits wanted to take advantage of the reservation in schools and colleges, get educated, become bureaucrats or politicians. They were not aware that they could become entrepreneurs.

Quoting statistics released by the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, he said there were over 50 lakh dalit entrepreneurs, who have invested close to ₹86,000 crore in plant and machinery, generating over ₹1.35 lakh crore turnover by employing more than a million people directly and indirectly. “Shown the right opportunity and guidance, we would be able to contribute more to the country’s GDP,” Kamble said.

Assuring them CII’s support, B Thiagarajan, Chairman (Affirmative Action Sub-Committee), CII Southern Region, said in business, opportunity is the key, and there are plenty of them here. “CII would only be happy to help DICCI build network and help scale up your business.”

Manikam Ramaswami, Chairman and Managing Director, Loyal Textile Mills and past Chairman, CII-Tamil Nadu, said in the textile industry the number of entrepreneurs is phenomenally high. There are over 5,050 crore exporters in the country.

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