MSME Ministry seeks special fund for defence, biotech

Press Trust of India Updated - October 06, 2011 at 09:17 PM.

The MSME Ministry proposes to provide incentives to emerging entrepreneurs in defence, robotics and biotech sectors during the 12th Plan, a senior government official said.

“We have identified five to six new areas – nanotechnology, biotechnology, defence and homeland security, food processing, IT related activities and pharma,” the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Secretary, Mr Uday Kumar Varma, told PTI.

The Ministry has decided to facilitate the start-up MSMEs in these “crucial” areas with a special fund package during the five-year (2012—2017) period.

However, he didn't elaborate the details of the package. “These sectors are of crucial importance. We will give a whole package... We are proposing in-principle, once Planning Commission agrees then details of the package can be worked out,” h said.

Mr Varma said the idea is to make Indian MSMEs attractive, competitive and encourage new entrepreneurs in these fields.

“In the beginning, all start-ups are MSMEs, not big in nature,” he said.

Published on October 6, 2011 15:47