Sindhudurg/ Mumbai, 26th February 2022

Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Shri Narayan Rane inaugurated Coir Board Regional Office at Kankavali in Sindhudurg, yesterday evening.  Coir Board is implementing several programmes to develop coir industry in the Konkan Zone. With the opening of this regional office, Coir Board will bring more programmes to the region.  

Addressing the inaugural event, the Union Minister said that despite a large coastal zone and coconut plantation, Konkan has not developed coir industry. The Minister expressed the confidence that with setting up of Coir Board Regional office in Kanakavali, the region will become prosperous like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with the help of coir industry. This will also generate employment to local youths, he added. 

Earlier in the day yesterday, the Union Minister inaugurated the two-day MSME Conclave aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and trade opportunities in Konkan Region; the conclave concludes today. At the conclave, the Minister launched Union Bank MSME RuPay Credit Card and also announced the setting up of Rs. 200 crore MSME Technology Centre in Sindhudurg.

Programmes to be implemented by Coir Board in the Konkan region are as given below:

• Coir Board will undertake enhanced activities for the development of coir industry in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa and more developmental activities in Konkan Zone as well as in overall states under the jurisdiction of this office.

• The regional office will act as an exclusive centre for extension of services of the Board and an integrated hub for promoting various coir developmental activities such as incubation/skilling, marketing, R&D centre, technical assistance, scheme implementation etc. in the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. 

• New Coir Board Showroom & Sales Depot will be opened at Pune for exploring huge market potential available in Pune, Alibag and its suburban cities.  Buyer Seller meetings will be organized at Pune and Mumbai.

• Exporters in this region will be identified and registered under the Board focusing the ports of Mumbai, Vizag & Kandla for fostering export markets. Services of existing exporters may also be utilized.

• Will create awareness among coir artisans through Entrepreneurship Development Programmes, awareness programmes on various schemes of the Ministry including SFURTI Scheme, Market Development Programmes for strengthening export sector etc.

• Creation of prospective entrepreneurs utilising PMEGP and SFURTI schemes of the Ministry of MSME by providing necessary handholding support and financial assistance. 

• Under CVY-Skill Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojana scheme, training will be provided to more beneficiaries in various coir processing technologies so as to enable them to get sustainable employment and revenue generation in coir sector by availing PMEGP/SFURTI schemes. 

• The Centre will have a display/promotional outlet for the sale of the products of trainees and MSME produces from Coir sector.

• Will formulate more coir clusters under SFURTI Scheme for creation of employment opportunities to coir artisans with top priority. 

• Will set up individual units for creation of employment under PMEGP Scheme, primarily focusing on manufacturing of coir fibre & yarn, coir geo textile, coir mats & handicrafts, garden articles, pith block, needled felt, pith manure etc.

Coir Board Chairman D. Kuppuramu and KVIC Chairman Vinay Kumar Saxena were also present at the inauguration of the office.

Coir Board was set up under the Coir Industry Act, 1953 by the Government of India for the overall sustainable development of Coir Industry in the Country.  The functions of the Board as laid down under the Act include undertaking, assisting and encouraging scientific, technological and economic research, modernization, quality improvement, human resource development, market promotion and welfare of all those who are engaged in this industry.

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