SIDBI launches BDS programme for SME clusters

Kochi, July 6 (UNI) The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), in association with the Centre and World Bank, today launched the Business Development Services (BDS) programme under the SME Financing&Development Project (SMEFDP) for the Alappuzha Coir Floor Covering Cluster.

Speaking at the function here, Deputy Managing Director Rakesh Rewari said the programme would increase flow of credit and related support services to SMEs in Kerala's coir cluster, which had over 10,000 units.

The programme, supported by DFID of the UK, KFW and GTZ both of Germany, would be executed in three phases--cluster mapping, project implementation and learning and 'close-out', Mr Rewari added.

He said the project entails building the capacity of BDS providers to effectively cater to the needs of the SMEs, support networking and collaboration among BDS providers and to facilitate business linkages between SMEs and larger corporations.

Apart from these, it would also include developing high quality entrepreneurship and management training for new and established enterprises and improve access and adoption of new and appropraite technologies among SMEs to facilitate information dissemination and technology transfer.

SIDBI had awarded the implementation of this four-year project in about 15 clusters in Alappuzha Coir Floor Covering Cluster to Cluster Pulse, a consultancy firm working in 66 clusters in nine countries.

Mr Rewari said SIDBI had distributed around Rs 10,000 crore last year for the upgradation and development of SMEs in the country.

''SIDBI, in the near future, will be launching new clusters like fruits and vegetable cluster in Pune, coir floor covering clusters in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala and leather clusters in Kanpur, Chennai and Kolkatta,'' Mr Rewari noted.

UNI