Namrata Kath Hazarika | 20 Dec, 2011

Pradyumna Vyas, Director, National Institute of Design in an exclusive interview with SME Times said that the Design Clinic Scheme will help MSMEs find ways to create value addition through design and innovation, and become competitive.

Excerpts of the interview...

Could you highlight on the Design Clinic Scheme for the MSME sector and focus on its benefits?
Pradyumna Vyas: The Design Clinic Scheme is a kind of the design movement in the country. This scheme is basically to promote the use of design and to make the MSME sector more competitive through design. So, NID has been made the nodal agency by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). And, the scheme has three important aspects. One is the design awareness programme where we are requesting the industry associations that if they register with us then we will organise a half day or one-day awareness programme where designers can come and talk about how designs can help them to become more competitive in the potential markets.  

Secondly, once they (SMEs) know that designs will make certainly a difference; they will talk to the designers. The next stage is the design workshops where our designers will go around in the clusters (SME clusters) and find out what are the design needs there. It is a need assessment -- a survey kind of thing where they (designers) can inform MSMEs that these are the design possibilities and it will be good if they (MSMEs) go to some design house or institute of design to take services from them to make their product or services better.

And, the third is the design project. If any individual industry or cluster is making products or giving services then the government will support them providing 50 percent subsidy on the design fee.

So, in the first one i.e the design awareness programme is totally supported by the Ministry of MSME. In the need assessment survey, the industry has to contribute 25 percent. For instance, Rs. 3 lakh we are giving and Rs. 1 lakh the industry contributes. That is the way it is highly subsidized.

In the design project, the amount can go up to Rs. 15 lakh. If any industry wants to redesign their products then cost up to Rs. 9 lakh we will provide and Rs. 6 lakh the industry person will provide to the designer.

And, it has been already taken off. Actually, more than 90 projects have started. We have covered all states. In fact, orientation programme has been given as well. I would say that through this scheme the designing is going to make a big difference. It is almost like a design movement in the country.

How many new projects are in pipeline?
Pradyumna Vyas: Our target is for 200 projects in the next two years. We will be able to fulfill the target and we already have conducted 150 awareness programme in the country. And, in the each state we have one orientation programme. 13 orientation programmes have already been conducted. I personally go to all the states and inform all those industries in that area on how they can get benefited with the designs clinic scheme.

Is the scheme focused for any particular sector?
Pradyumna Vyas: The scheme is focused among all the sectors. It is meant for the MSME sector but it is dealing with agricultural sector, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, medical equipment, etc. All  kinds of mass manufactured products which have been produced by MSMEs are coming under this scheme.

Through your medium I would like to tell all these MSMEs to take advantage because it is one of the finest schemes for design support to the sector.

Is there any other scheme or steps you are taking to help MSMEs in design and innovation?
Pradyumna Vyas:MSME sector has many schemes. Design Clinic is one of them. There are lean manufacturing and marketing support. There are many schemes, which help individual business to scale up. One is that scaling up helps become more competitive in terms of quality and speed of manufacturing, save time and lower costs of manufacturing. And when professionals are engaging with this sector (SME sector) certainly there is a benefit. This sector employs a huge number of people. We feel that this professional support certainly is going to make them competitive. Hence, the economical development of the country will also increase.

How many NIDs are coming up next?
Pradyumna Vyas: We are planning to come up with four more NIDs. One in Jorhat, Assam; second in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh; other is in Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

Could you highlight the challenges MSME sector is facing at the moment as far as designing is concerned?
Pradyumna Vyas: As I have said earlier that scaling up is an issue. These all entrepreneurs are very dynamic entrepreneurs that is why they have started the industry but when you have to scale up and face the competition, I think somewhere professional inputs are required. That is why the scheme will certainly make them more competitive. But the challenge is "How to become competitive?". As it is global market and it is requisite to become competitive, the product has to be good and it has to be produced faster and it should be very cheaper.

(Namrata Kath Hazarika can be contacted at namratakh@tradeindia.com)