National SC ST Hub Conclave was chaired by Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, and other senior officials of the ministry were present on the occasion. Chairman or representatives from about 50 PSUs from 20 Ministries also participated in the conclave.

The interaction aims to bring together leading CPSEs from different sectors and initiate discussion to understand the gaps and their challenges in realizing the mandate of Public Procurement Policy. The interaction is envisioned to put forth a strategy that delivers sustained and measurable impact on the entire MSME ecosystem. With participation from over 50 CPSEs from 20 Ministries, the conclave also aims to develop an understanding of procurement requirements of CPSEs and facilitating them in vendor development programme by providing support in mobilizing SC/ST entrepreneurs.

Ministry of MSME, through National SC-ST Hub, is continuously thriving to achieve its objectives, and in order to accomplish desired goals has taken up multiple initiatives. The conclave will give a brief on all ongoing activities and also give a snapshot on the roadmap for the near future.

A brief presentation by Joint Secretary, MSME, on the achievements and challenges faced by CPSEs in procuring goods and services from SC ST entrepreneurs was given. In order to receive inputs and suggestions from CPSES, an open discussion was organized during the conclave to decide upon the future course of action. Key highlighted from the discussion were:

1. Current status of procurement done by CPSEs from MSMEs (including SC/ST MSEs) during the last Financial Year

2. Need for one consolidated database of SC/ST Vendors including details of products and services provided by them

3. Focus on organizing Special – Vendor Development Programmes (VDPs) and capacity building programmes for addressing the skills gap of SC/ST MSEs

4. Use of technology as a medium for dissemination of information

The conclave brought various insights from CPSEs to understand the gaps in realizing the mandate of Public Procurement Policy and put forth innovative strategies for holistic development of MSEs owned by SC/ST Entrepreneurs. The discussion help was extremely fruitful and will go a long way in meeting the objectives of the National SC ST Hub

Background:

National SC-ST Hub, launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, aims to create a supportive ecosystem for SC/ST entrepreneurs by assisting in technology upgradation and capacity building thereby enabling them to effectively participate in public procurement processes. The Government of India formulated the Public Procurement Policy, 2012 which states that 20% of total procurement of goods and services by Central Ministries, Departments and CPSEs shall be made from MSEs and 20% of such procurement (4% of total procurement) from MSEs shall be made from SC & ST owned MSEs.

 

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AK 

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