The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) Limited opened its first sub-office in Siliguri on Thursday to promote micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and help prospective entrepreneurs and local artisans set up such units.
This is also the first north Bengal office of the NSIC, a public sector undertaking that works under the Union ministry of the MSME to promote and support MSME units across the country.
“The NSIC has opened its new sub-office in Siliguri, the centrally located city in north Bengal, to provide easier access to various schemes and support services for MSMEs in this region,” said Sanjib Kumar Deka, the chief manager and branch-in-charge of the new office.
So far, the NSIC had only one office in Bengal, in Calcutta.
Deka said there was major scope for MSME units in the service and the manufacturing sectors across north Bengal, but so far entrepreneurs of this region had to go to Calcutta to get financial assistance and other help from the NSIC. “With the new office, they will no longer have to visit Calcutta,” the official said.
NSIC sources said that in the service sector, they could assist prospective investors to take up ventures in transport, tourism, handloom and handicraft sectors.
“Such investors can get financial assistance up to ₹10 crore. Entrepreneurs from reserved categories will get options to exhibit and merchandise their products at various events free of charge. Those belonging to the general category need to pay a subsidised cost,” said a source.
“NSIC assists anyone who opens a private security agency,” the source added.
A political observer said that chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her government had been focusing on the MSME sector for years, which includes schemes to encourage investors to open up units across the state, including north Bengal. Now, the BJP-ruled Centre also wants to reach out to prospective investors and MSMEs of this region.
Along with the new sub-office, NSIC also hosted an awareness camp open network for digital commerce (ONDC).
“The ONDC camp was held to provide necessary know-how and opportunities on the open digital commerce
ecosystem to the local MSMEs, which can enable them to enhance their markets,” said an official.