Staff Reporter –
MSME-Development & Facilitation Office, Kolkata under Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India inaugurated two-days Vendor Development Programme for MSME Sector inaugurated today at Indian Institute of Packaging, Kolkata. The objective of the programme was Marketing, a strategic tool for business development that is critical for the growth and survival of MSMEs. Due to the lack of information, scarcity of resources and unorganized ways of selling /marketing in the post Covid’19 arena, the MSME sector faces problems in exploring new markets and retaining the existing one. Keeping in view these facts, the Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme of the Ministry of MSME, GoI has been introduced to enhance the marketability of products and services in the MSME sector. Vendor Development Programme (VDP) is a component of this scheme to facilitate market linkages for effective implementation of Public Procurement Policy for MSEs – 2012 (Amended in 2018).
Vendor Development Programme is an initiative by the Ministry of MSME, GoI to bring the MSMEs, Stake-holders, Govt. & Quasi-Govt. Department and CPSUs, Office of GeM on a common platform.
In order to take forward this initiative, MSME- Development & Facilitation Office, Kolkata has organized a two days Vendor Development Programme at Indian Institute of Packaging, Kolkata on 5th and 6th December, 2023. This 2 Day event was inaugurated by: Sri. D. Mitra, IEDS, Joint Director & HoO, MSME-DFO, Kolkata; Sri. Bidhan Das, Deputy Director, Indian Institute of Packaging; Smt. Kanchan Chauhan, Operations Manager, BNI Kolkata & CBDA & North; Sri. Vijay Agarwal, Secretary, LUB (WB); Sri. Manik Mazumder, Chief General Manager (MM), ONGC; Sri. W Rajkumar, Chairman, APID&FC Ltd, Govt of Arunachal Pradesh & many other eminent personalities.
On this occasion, Sri. D Mitra, IEDS, Joint Director & HoO, MSME-DFO, Kolkata expressed his satisfaction for organizing this event for exclusive benefits of MSMEs for the State of West Bengal. He also informed that around 150 MSMEs participated in the inaugural day. Sharing his views, he said, “Government of India has taken several measures to enhance the procurement from MSEs under Public Procurement Act’2012. It is a common platform for business as well as selling organizations to inter-act with each other with a view to identifying emerging demands of the buyer organizations while simultaneously providing an opportunity for displaying the capabilities of the small scale entrepreneurs and their industrial ventures. Such programmes have proved to be of immense use in locating suitable entrepreneurs by a number of buying organizations including the Public Sector Enterprises, various Wings of Defense, Railways and others in indigenizing a number of products which hitherto have been imported at a colossal cost. This programme will help MSEs of West Bengal.”
The programme covered various marketing related topics and showcasing of products of selective MSMEs, one to one interaction with CPSUs, Central Government departments with a special focus on the following topics:
- Session on Public Procurement Policy for MSEs – 2012
- Session on Procurement Procedure, Vendor Registration Procedure of CPSUs and Govt. & Quasi-Govt. Department
- Session on Government E- Marketplace (GeM)
- Session on Marketing Assistance Scheme & other Schemes of Ministry of MSME, Govt. of India.
- Camp for GeM Registration
- Product exhibition in table space to CPSUs and other stakeholders
- Interaction with CPSUs and other stakeholders
- Camp for Udyam Registration
Large Buyers like GRSE, Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL), Bharat Heavy Electronics Limited (BHEL), ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Haldia, Balmer Lawree, MSTC, Eastern Railways, Coal India Limited, Damoder Valley Corporation (DVC) etc. participated in this gala event.