Around 7200 clusters in handloom, handicrafts & SME sector

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SME Times News Bureau | 26 Apr, 2012
There are around 7200 clusters in traditional handloom, handicrafts and modern small and medium enterprise (SME) industry segments in the country, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia informed this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Of these, it is estimated that 2500 are unmapped rural industry clusters, he added.

According to thr Policy and Status Paper on Cluster Development in India, Foundation for MSME Clusters, 2007, induction of new and modern technology in these clusters is imperative for development.

Accordingly, cluster development programmes of Government of India include promotion of new and modern technology by sector specific, Ministries/Departments.

Some of these programmes are Micro and Small Enterprise Cluster Development Programme (MSECDP) and Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the minister said.

Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (IIUS) of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Mega Food Park Scheme of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) of Ministry of Textiles and Scheme for Development of AYUSH clusters of Department of AYUSH.