MSME Digitalisation And Entrepreneurship Drive Gains Momentum In Himachal Pradesh

Shimla, Jun 13 (KNN) Himachal Pradesh has reported significant progress in strengthening its MSME ecosystem under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) Programme, with a strong focus on promoting entrepreneurship among youth and women.

Himachal Pushes MSME Digitalisation And Sustainability 

The achievements were reviewed during a meeting chaired by Dr. Rajneesh, Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME, at the Directorate of Industries.

Officials informed that 1,080 MSMEs have undergone Digital Readiness Assessments under the MSME SMART initiative, while 890 Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) studies have been conducted to encourage sustainable and environmentally responsible business practices.

Fostering Youth And Women Entrepreneurship 

To foster entrepreneurship among young people, the state has established 48 pre-incubation centres across Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, engaging nearly 19,000 students and promoting innovation-led enterprise development.

Women entrepreneurship has emerged as a key focus area under the programme. Around 1,325 rural women entrepreneurs have received skill development training through HPSHHCL and HPKVN. 

Additionally, 16 funding and networking workshops have been organised for women-led enterprises, benefiting 257 entrepreneurs.

MSME Finance Access Boosted Through Digital Platforms 

The state has also taken steps to improve MSMEs' access to finance by signing agreements with Invoice Mart and RXIL for onboarding enterprises onto the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform, aimed at addressing delayed payment challenges.

During the review, Dr. Rajneesh appreciated Himachal Pradesh’s performance under the RAMP Programme and reviewed the implementation of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme. 

He emphasised the need to enhance credit access and expedite toolkit distribution for eligible artisans.

The Directorate of Industries also announced plans to organise international exposure visits to help MSMEs adopt global best practices and strengthen the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

(KNN Bureau)