CPSEs procured over Rs.100 crores worth of products from Women Entrepreneurs in recent times, says Secretary, MSME at PHDCCI

No.PR-166

March 8, 2019

New Delhi

CPSEs procured over Rs.100 crores worth of products from Women Entrepreneurs in recent times, says Secretary, MSME at PHDCCI

More than Rs.100 crores worth of products of multiple volumes have been procured by Central Public Sector Enterprises and other such entities from women entrepreneurs in the last one year or so ever since the public procurement policy was announced by the government, according to Secretary, MSME, Dr Arun Kumar Panda.

Addressing a National Seminar on “Procurement & Marketing Support to MSMEs & Virtual Incubator for Women Entrepreneurs 2019” jointly organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Womenovator here today, Dr Panda informed that this has happened despite the entrepreneurs in MSMEs segment have little information about the government schemes.

The Seminar was presided over by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Mr Suresh Prabhu who said that all the 103 Airports would be equipped with Georaphical Indicators (GI) stores in which the products and articles made by artisans and of similar scale crafts would be displayed for their wider and broad-based consumption.

He regretted that government has been doing its best to disburse the information about public policies for the advantage of MSMEs entrepreneurs and other aspiring business persons including women entrepreneurs yet the awaking level is dismally low and MSMEs do not take advantage of such schemes.

The Secretary, however, added that some of the women entrepreneurs have been able to take advantage of public policies to sell off their products through the government owned portal to a number of CPSEs and other such units to an extent of Rs.100 crores and hoped that women entrepreneurs will pro-actively come forward and take optimum advantage of government schemes.

Dr Panda also explained that through the ‘MSMEs Sambandh Portal’ the government is monitoring the progress of CPSEs procurements as per which it is mandatory for them to procure 25% of their procurements through GeM portal of which 3% procurement is also necessary to be sourced from women entrepreneurs to give them encouragement as well as empowerment.

Among others who were also present on the occasion comprised Sr. Vice President, PHDCCI and its Immediate Former President, Mr D K Aggarwal and Mr Anil Khaitan including Chairperson and Secretary, Women Entrepreneurs Committee, PHDCCI, Ms Tripti Somani and Ms Kanchan Zutshi and well known celebrity Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, who is also Independent Director, Max Financial Services and Sr. Advisor, Advent Private Equity and host of others.

Ends.

Koteshwar Prasad Dobhal

Consultant (PR)