Prime Minister to CMs: Use public education infrastructure for skill development

Bhubabewar: In a bid to scale-up skill development the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh has written to Chief Ministers of all the state to consider opening up public education infrastructure, after class hours, for skill development. This can lead to a dramatic scaling up of skill development where skill developers in the private sector would be able to provide training at cheaper costs and spread skill development to all parts of the country.

 In his letter he writes “Some experts have estimated that India has the capacity to create 500 million certified and skilled technicians by the year 2022. This would provide employment opportunities to our young people to access opportunities provided by economic growth and make that growth more inclusive and shared”.

 He added that A plan for skill development must begin with increasing our investments in education. You would have noticed that the Central Government has sought to convert the Eleventh Plan largely into a national plan for education with the gross budgetary support to education being raised from 7.68% in the Tenth Plan to 19% in the Eleventh Plan. The actual outlays have been increased five-fold and now stand at Rs.2,75,000 crore. This investment will be used to provide universal elementary education of quality, support a new focus for secondary education and generate a second wave of major investment in higher education with the setting up of several institutions of higher learning including 30 new Central Universities , 8 Indian Institutes of Technology and 7 Indian Institutes of Management. This investment in education would be complementary to the proposed action for skill development.

 Some of the key governance principles for a skill development strategy would be to design programmes under which the learner can pay the skill provider directly, skills are made bankable and individuals are enabled to convert their knowledge and skills, through Testing and Certification, into higher diplomas and degrees. There is a need to promote multiple models of delivery that can respond to the differing situations in various states. I would urge that while planning for skill development, the dimension of inclusivity is not lost sight of. The design should deal effectively with gender and rural-urban divides, as well as divides between organized and unorganized industry and between traditional home-based and contemporary work place-based occupations.

 He suggest that to make available buildings of public educational institutions above the High School level after class hours for skill development to any agency including the private sector. It is estimated that there are over 2,00,000 such educational institutions many of which can become skill development centres immediately without affecting formal educational transactions that happen during class hours. Necessary regulations could be brought in by the management authority of the particular educational institution. It would immediately make available a huge stock of public investment to combine with private sector capacity to generate skills. Costs would be lower as skill providers would not have to invest in buildings for skill training. This may help to create skill building opportunities across all parts of the country in a short time. The second suggestion is that State Governments could consider setting up State Level Missions for Skill Development chaired by Chief Ministers to provide inter-sectoral coordination on this critical challenge and, in addition to Government departments, involve experts and representatives from the category of job providers to plan and implement the Mission .

Centre formulate Schemes for Management of Protected Sancturies

By Akhand in Bhubanewsar

 Central Government have formulated a financial assistance plan for Protected areas in various state. Central Assistance to the States for Protection and Management of National Parks and Sanctuaries is provided under three main schemes, namely Development of National Park and Sanctuaries, Project Tiger and Project Elephant.

             The main objective of the schemes is to assist the States in the development of National Parks and Sanctuaries through to financial assistance and facilitate expanding the protected area network. The scheme also helps the states to create infrastructural facilities for better protection and management of these protected areas. Financial assistance provided to States. The states were provided financial assistance to the tune of 1. 8 Billion Rupees for the period of 2002-2006.

 Project Tiger

             The Project Tiger was launched on 1st April, 1973 on the recommendation of special task forces of the Indian board for Wildlife with the following objectives to ensure the maintenance of viable population of tigers in India for scientific economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and to preserve, for all times, areas of such biological importance as a national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. It also aims to increase the tiger population to optimum levels by the improvement of the biotope and simulation of its diversity according to sound principles of conservation.

            Right now, there are 36 Tiger Reserves in the country where 4 new Reserves have been declared this year. The project is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The States receive 100% financial assistance for non-recurring items and 50% assistance for recurring items.The states were given more than Rs 120 crore during 2002- 2006.

 Project Elephant

             There are only 17 states in which elephants exist in the wild state. Project Elephant has declared 24 elephant reserves in 12 states to protect elephant populations in the wild and develop their habitat. It was launched in the year 91-92 as a sequel to a series of efforts to conserve this magnificent species covering primarily twelve states of India, namely Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamilnadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The financial assistance provided to the states under the scheme is Rs 47 crore during 2002- 2006.

Indian Post Offices disburse 29 Billion Rupees to Rural laborers

By Akhand in Bhubaneswar

Post Offices in India have disbursed about 29 Billion Rupees as wages to the beneficiaries of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). The total number of accounts opened for NREGS payments as on end July is 1.47 crores. The number of Post Offices disbursing the wages across 21 states is over 70 thousand (including Head Post Offices, Sub Post Offices and Branch Post Offices). Southern state Andhra Pradesh has the maximum number of over 94 lakh accounts.

An important concern of the NREG Scheme is that every worker is paid his/her wages for the work done expeditiously and correctly. With a view to address this concern, the Government had decided that payment of wages to the workers will be done only through Banks or Post Offices. Department of Posts in collaboration with NIC and BSNL is working towards establishing an electronic Payment System for giving away these wages. A pilot implementation of this system is being planned by the Government in selected districts of Orissa which is expected to be operational by December, 2008.

Starting with the Andhra Pradesh Postal Circle in 2005, payment of wages under NREG Scheme has now been extended to 19 Postal Circles in 21 States.

Special Economic Zones in India: Leading to the growth of labour intensive manufacturing industry

By Akhand in Bhubaneswar, India

India was one of the first in Asia to recognize the effectiveness of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) model in promoting exports, with Asia’s first EPZ set up in Kandla in 1965.  With a view to overcome the shortcomings experienced on account of the multiplicity of controls and clearances; absence of world-class infrastructure, and  an unstable fiscal regime and with a view to attract larger foreign investments in India, the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Policy  was announced in April 2000.

This policy intended to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complemented by an attractive fiscal package, both at the Centre and the State level, with the minimum possible regulations. SEZs in India functioned from 1.11.2000 to 09.02.2006 under the provisions of the Foreign Trade Policy and fiscal incentives were made effective through the provisions of relevant statutes.
 
To instill confidence in investors and signal the Government’s commitment to a stable SEZ policy regime and with a view to impart stability to the SEZ regime thereby generating greater economic activity and employment through the establishment of SEZs, a comprehensive draft SEZ Bill prepared after extensive discussions with the stakeholders. A number of meetings were held in various parts of the country both by the Minister for Commerce and Industry as well as senior officials for this purpose.  The Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, was passed by Parliament in May, 2005 which received Presidential assent on the 23rd of June, 2005. The draft SEZ Rules were widely discussed and put on the website of the Department of Commerce offering suggestions/comments. Around 800 suggestions were received on the draft rules.  After extensive consultations,  the SEZ Act, 2005, supported by SEZ Rules, came into effect on 10th February, 2006, providing for drastic simplification of procedures and for single window clearance on matters relating to central as well as state governments.   The main objectives of the SEZ Act are: generation of additional economic activity,  promotion of exports of goods and services,  promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources; creation of employment opportunities;  development of infrastructure facilities.

It is expected that this will trigger a large flow of foreign and domestic investment in SEZs, in infrastructure and productive capacity, leading to generation of additional economic activity and creation of employment opportunities.

Out of the 513 formal approvals given till date, 177 approvals are  for sector specific and multi product SEZs  for manufacture of Textiles & Apparels, Leather Footwear, Automobile components, Engineering etc.. which would involve labour intensive manufacturing. SEZs are going to lead to creation of employment for large number of unemployed rural youth. Nokia and Flextronics electronics hardware SEZs in Sriperumbudur are already providing employment to 13722 and 629 persons. Hyderabad Gems SEZ for Jewellery manufacturing in Hyderabad has already employed 1500 persons.  They have a projected direct employment for about 1500 persons. Apache SEZ being set up in Andhra Pradesh will employ 30,000 persons to manufacture 10,00,000 pairs of shoes every month. Current employment in Apache SEZ is 5325 persons. Brandix Apparels, a Sri Lankan FDI project would provide employment to 60,000 workers over a period of 3 years. Even in the services sector, 12.5 million sq meters space is expected in the IT/ITES SEZs which as per the NASSCOM standards translates into 12.5 lakh jobs. It is, therefore, expected that establishment of SEZs would lead to fast growth of labour intensive manufacturing and services in the country.

Benefits derived from SEZs

Benefit derived from SEZs is evident from the investment, employment, exports and infrastructural developments additionally generated.  The benefits derived from multiplier effect of the investments and additional economic activity in the SEZs and the employment generated thus will far outweigh the tax exemptions and the losses on account of land acquisition.  Stability in fiscal concession is absolutely essential to ensure credibility of Government intensions.

Investment and employment in the SEZs set up prior to the SEZ Act, 2005:

At present, 1897 units are in operation in the SEZs.  In the SEZs established prior to the Act coming into force, there are 1141 units providing direct employment to over 1.99 lakh persons; about 35% of whom are women. Private investment by entrepreneurs in these SEZs established prior to the SEZ Act is of the order of over Rs. 4043.28 crore. 

Investment and employment in the SEZs notified under the SEZ Act 2005:
 
Current investment and employment:  
o Investment:           Rs. 73348 crore
o Employment:        100885 persons

Impact of the scheme

The overwhelming response to the SEZ scheme is evident from the flow of investment and creation of additional employment in the country.  The SEZ scheme has generated tremendous response amongst the investors, both in India and abroad, which is evident from the list of Developers who have set up SEZs: Nokia SEZ in Tamil Nadu , Quark City SEZ in Chandigarh, Flextronics SEZ in Tamil Nadu, Mahindra World City in Tamil Nadu, Motorola, DELL and Foxconn, Apache SEZ (Adidas Group) in Andhra Pradesh, Divvy’s Laboratories, Andhra Pradesh, Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park, Chandigarh, ETL Infrastructure IT SEZ, Chennai, Hyderabad Gems Limited, Hyderabad.
The SEZ Act 2005 envisages key role for the State Governments in Export Promotion and creation of related infrastructure. A Single Window SEZ approval mechanism has been provided through a 19 member inter-ministerial SEZ Board of Approval (BoA). The applications duly recommended by the respective State Governments/UT Administration are considered by this BoA periodically.  All decisions of the Board of approvals are with consensus.
 
The SEZ Rules provide for different minimum land requirement for different class of SEZs. Every SEZ is divided into a processing area where alone the SEZ units would come up and the non-processing area where the supporting infrastructure is to be created. 

The SEZ Rules provide for : Simplified procedures for development, operation, and maintenance of the Special Economic Zones and for setting up units and conducting business in SEZs; Single window clearance for setting up of an SEZ; Single window clearance for setting up a unit in a Special Economic Zone; Single Window clearance on matters relating to Central as well as State Governments; Simplified compliance procedures and documentation with an emphasis on self certification etc.

Approval mechanism and Administrative set up of SEZs

The developer submits the proposal for establishment of SEZ to the concerned State Government.  The State Government has to forward the proposal with its recommendation within 45 days from the date of receipt of such proposal to the Board of Approval.  The applicant also has the option to submit the proposal directly to the Board of Approval.

            The Board of Approval has been constituted by the Central Government in exercise of the powers conferred under the SEZ Act.  All the decisions are taken in the Board of Approval by consensus.  The Board of Approval has 19 Members. 

The functioning of the SEZs is governed by a three tier administrative set up.  The Board of Approval is the apex body and is headed by the Secretary, Department of Commerce.  The Approval Committee at the Zone level deals with approval of units in the SEZs and other related issues.  Each Zone is headed by a Development Commissioner, who is ex-officio chairperson of  the Approval Committee. 

Once an SEZ has been approved by the Board of Approval and Central Government has notified the area of the SEZ, units are allowed to be set up in the SEZ.   All the proposals for setting up of units in the SEZ are approved at the Zone level by the Approval Committee consisting of Development Commissioner, Customs Authorities and representatives of State Government.  All post approval clearances including grant of importer-exporter code number, change in the name of the company or implementing agency, broad banding diversification, etc. are given at the Zone level by the Development Commissioner.  The performance of the SEZ units are periodically monitored by the Approval Committee and units are liable for penal action under the provision of Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, in case of violation of the conditions of the approval.

Incentives and facilities offered to the SEZs

The incentives and facilities offered to the units in SEZs for attracting investments into the SEZs, including foreign investment include:-
Duty free import/domestic procurement of goods for development, operation and maintenance of SEZ units; 100% Income Tax exemption on export income for SEZ units under Section 10AA of the Income Tax Act for first 5 years, 50% for next 5 years thereafter and 50% of the ploughed back export profit for next 5 years; Exemption from minimum alternate tax under section 115JB of the Income Tax Act; External commercial borrowing by SEZ units upto US $ 500 million in a year without any maturity restriction through recognized banking channels; Exemption from Central Sales Tax; Exemption from Service Tax; Single window clearance for Central and State level approvals; Exemption from State sales tax and other levies as extended by the respective State Governments.  
The major incentives and facilities available to SEZ developers include:- Exemption from customs/excise duties for development of SEZs for authorized operations approved by the BOA; Income Tax exemption on income derived from the business of development of the SEZ in a block of 10 years in 15 years under Section 80-IAB of the Income Tax Act; Exemption from minimum alternate tax under Section 115 JB of the Income Tax Act; Exemption from dividend distribution tax under Section 115O of the Income Tax Act; Exemption from Central Sales Tax (CST); Exemption from Service Tax (Section 7, 26 and Second Schedule of the SEZ Act).

SEZ Approval Status

Consequent upon the SEZ Rules coming into effect w.e.f. 10th February, 2006, Twenty-seven meetings of the Board of Approvals have since been held.  During these meetings, formal approval has been granted to  513 SEZ proposals.  There are 138 valid in-principle approvals.   Out of the 513 formal approvals, 250 SEZs have been notified.
Land requirements for approved SEZs:
The total land requirement for the  formal approvals granted till date is approximately 62590 hectares out of which about 107 approvals are for State Industrial Development Corporations/State Government Ventures which account for over 20763 hectares. In these cases, the land already available with the State Governments or SIDCs or with private companies has been utilized for setting up SEZ.  The land for the 250 notified SEZs where operations have since commenced involved is approximately  over 29399 hectares only.
Out of the total land area of 2973190 sq km in India, total agricultural land is of the order of 1620388 sq km (54.5%).  It is interesting to note that out of this total land area, the land in possession of the 250 SEZs notified amounts to approximately over 293 sq km only.   The  formal approvals  granted also works out to only around 625 sq km.

Indian police detain US national, Two other arrested in false case

Bhubaneswar (India):

The Indian police detained Mr. David Pugh, a teacher from the USA on 12th August along with advocate Miss Protima Das and an anti-displacement activist Mr. Devendra Das who accompanied him assisting in translation and showing the area in Kalinganagar and Sukinda on their way back to Orissa state Capital Bhubaneswar.

The US national who had a tourist visa claimed to be a researcher on displacement related issues. He told the police that he had visited Navi Mumbai, Singur, the proposed Posco steel plant area of Jagatsinghpur before reaching Kalinga Nagar. He also stated that he had attended a ‘public hearing’ on displacement held recently at Bhubaneswar.

They were taken to the Badchan Police station near Chandikhol.  Mr. David Pugh was kept for 5 hours in the police custody from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.  He was mentally tortured illegally.  After that they released him and asked to stay back for interrogation again on 13th August in the afternoon.  Miss Pratima and Mr. Devendra are being kept under detention and arrested later. Police claim that they have link with banned maoist rebel.

Jagatsinghpur District Police Superintendent Mr RK Sharma said: “Pratima Das alias Mala and one Debendra Das were arrested for the Maoist activities. Das was suspected to be involved in a Maoist arms loot case in Sambalpur district. Protima was working for a outfit named Nari Mukti Sangh. She was instrumental in distributing Maoist posters and handbills at Cuttack.

Mr. David Pugh visited Kaliganagar and Sukinda to see Industrialization and its effects on the people and the movement against industrialization and mining by south Korian company POSCO.  Miss. Protima Das was requested to help Mr. David Pugh as translator and Mr. Devenra as guide as he belongs to the Sukinda.  They all went to Kalinganagar after attending a People’s Tribunal on Displacement, SEZ, and Corporate Violence in Orissa organized in Bhubaneswar by Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan, an anti-displacement front of movements from various parts of India including that of Orissa.  Activists from all areas in Orissa had come to explain their conditions of destitution and destruction at the People’s Tribunal.

Amin Maharana, a Central Council member of Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan, is also detained by the police from Bhubaneswar.  He is an environmental and anti-displacement activist working in Sukinda area for many years now.  He is a cultural performer.  He has written many songs about people’s devastation due to displacement and also released an audio CD on the issue.

The Government of Orissa has been unleashing brutal repression on the anti-displacement movement for the last two years.  The detentions are part of the larger plans of the government to coerce the people to accept the displacement and give up their lands.

Peoples organisation have to all democrats to immediately intervene and put pressure on the Govermenent of Orissa to release Miss. Pratima and all other activist without subjecting them to any kind of harassment.

Release demanded

Anti-displacement movement supporters here have demanded the unconditional release of advocate Ms Pratima Das and all others who were arrested and further warned the government not to implicate them in false cases.
Agriculture economist Prof KR Chowdry, civil liberty activist Mr M Ratnamala, PUCL president Mr Prasant Jena, Jibika Bachao Andolan president Mr Kedar Ray and Mr Tapan Mishra among others, condemned the arrests and described the same as ‘illegal, repressive and undemocratic’ action of the state government. The advocate had been to Posco project area and Kalinga Nagar to accompany Mr David Pugh as a translator and guide. Mr Pugh, a representative of an international origination, had been to there to interact with the project affected people.

Ostracised Indian AIDS victim dies

By Akhand in Bhubaneswar (India)

Nava Pradhan (named changed), the 42-year-old HIV-infected grade-four staff of a nationalised bank at Kendrapara in Indian coastal state Orissa, died at his home on Tuesday. He was pushed into a state of deep agony and distress from where there was no return.

Nava, who was ostracised in his village, was also subjected to discriminating treatment by the bank authorities.

He was first asked to go on a long leave and was never allowed to report on duty. Under such circumstances, he was forced to stay back home without a job.

Nava had moved the National Human Rights Commission and Orissa Human Rights Commission against the injustice meted out to him by the bank.

“It is a matter of deep shock and anguish that the authorities in a nationalised bank showed such attitude towards an HIV positive person. The behaviour of the bank employees was insensitive, inhumane and illegal,” said social activist Abanti Behera, adding that before the two human rights bodies came to Nava’s rescue, he died as a frustrated and heartbroken soul.

Stating that the Supreme Court of India has a ruling that no HIV-infected employee, either in government or private sector, can be stopped from performing duty or segregated from the workplace, Ms Behera said that the bank’s refusal to allow Nava to work was violation of human rights and amounted to contempt of the court. “The concerned bank officials — in contemptuous disregard to the court’s verdict — have discriminated against an HIV/AIDS carrier. It is a commission of penal offence by the authorities concerned as they stopped and segregated the diseased man from bank duty,” she added.

Ms Behera, who fought for the cause of the deceased, say she would fight until the rights bodies chastised the bank for its wrong behaviour.

Human Rights Commission raps Indian police

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa Human Rights Commission in India has pulled up the state police for unlawful entry into the house of one Bhaskar Behera of Athagarh on the night of June 14 2007 night leading to his death.

Directing the state government to initiate departmental proceedings against the erring police officials, the commission has awarded a compensation of rupees one lakh to the parents of the deceased.

Asked by the Orissa High Court to enquire into the matter, the commission on Thursday made public its findings observing that Bhaskar’s death was not due to police assault as alleged.

“There was no evidence of assault by police on bhaskar”, the commission said. Bhaskar died due to aspiration of stomach contents into his air pipe as he was shocked and frightened at the sight of police at his doorstep late in the night, the commission said basing its observation on medical evidence.

The victim’s mother had petitoned the High Court alleging that her son was killed due to police excess. She had also sought a CBI probe into the death of her son alleging that even as murder cases were registerd against the erring policemen at the local police station, the culprits would manage to escape.

The High Court, however, had asked the state human rights panel to make an enquiry into the allegations made by Bhaskar’s mother.

Mentally ill woman kept chained for 15 years

Bhubaneswar (India): Kamala Sethi, 26, has spent 15 years chained to a pole by her family that cannot afford medical treatment for her mental illness.

Both her legs have been tied with a rope and a chain connecting it is tied to a wooden pole in a straw-thatched room that the family earlier used as a cowshed in Nacchipur village of Jagatsinghpur district, some 120 km from Orissa capital Bhubaneswar in eastern India.

She has been living in the shed – like an animal, with no clothes on. It is her bedroom, bathroom, toilet and dining room combined. She is usually found lying down, but sometimes she screams, shouts and thrashes around.

“She does everything inside,” her father Narayan said.

“Her mother cleans the room every day to ensure that she does not fall ill.”

During her childhood, Kamala used to stammer, but she could help her mother Sailabala in all household chores. She attended a school nearby and studied up to class 10. However, she developed some mental illness and became violent, Narayan said.

Local doctors advised him to take her to a specialty hospital, but he could not arrange the funds required.

“I work as a daily wage earner and it is impossible to arrange funds for her treatment,” he said, adding that he therefore had no option but to keep her chained at home.

“Kamala tore all her clothes and we have no money to buy new ones,” Sailabala said, adding that the woman has been living in the same condition for the past 15 years.

The couple said they appealed to the administration and some NGOs for help but to no avail.

Kamala is the eldest of the couple’s two daughters and one son.

Brother Arbinda, 25, left home to look for a job outside Orissa but there has been no word from him since then. “We don’t know where he is,” Sailabala said.

Distress migration receded in Orissa: Centre

Bhubaneswar: The union Rural Development ministery on thursday told that the Distress migration in different parts of Orissa has notebly decreased after the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

Addressing a round table conference on collaboration with Universities, Technological and Management Institutes organized by the Rural Development Ministry in NewDelhi, the Union Rural Development Minister Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said the initial positive trends shows an enhancement in the wage security and productivity of rural masses as the distress migration has receded in the States of Orissa, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Since the commencement of the NREGA implementation in the country in the 1st phase(2006-07) 2.10 crore households were provided employment. This figure rose to 3.39 crore house holds in 2007-08 and upto June 2008 this year (2008-09) 2.11 crore house holds have been provided employment. Compared to the 90.50 crore persondays employment in 2006-07 and 143.59 crore persondays employment in 2007-08, 67.64 crore persondays of employment has been generated up to June 2008 this year, informed the Minister.

The Minister said the direct benefits of NREGA to Agriculture has been noticed as the increase in productivity through the creation of permanent assets for water harvesting, check dams, ground water recharging, improve moisture content, micro-irrigation, check in . This has also resulted in the increased labor availability by curtailing distress migration. The indirect benefits of NREGA implementation are improved inputs through augmenting income of cultivators and increased access to markets and services through rural connectivity networks, Dr. Singh added.
 
 He also urged the intellectuals and eminent scholars working in the leading educational institutions across the country to come forward and usher in the NREGA implementation process. The minister said, the main task of the intellectuals in this regard is to generate proper awareness.

The eminent participants in the round table were from more than 20 Universities and Technological and Management institutes from all over the country.

ONLINE MARKET LINKAGE FOR ORISSA APPLIQUE WORK LAUNCHED

Bhubaneswar:

HDFC Bank recently launched India’s first ‘online market linkage programme’ for Self Help Groups (SHGs).

In the first stage, the programme will include orissa artisans engaged in the Applique work in Pipili, stone carving from puri and making of sambalpuri sarees. It also creat market linkage for artisans working in Chikan embroidery work on garments from Lucknow, Silk Saree and materials from Thiruvarur,Kanchipuram, terracota toys from Cuddalore, Tanjore art paintings and art plate from Thanjavur.There are also SHGs that manufacture eco-friendly plates out of arecanut tree seath leaf. These plates are biodegradable, disposable, hygienic and cheaper alternative to plastic and paper plates.
 
This is the first such initiative by any bank in India to help the rural industry and artisans to improve their incomes and livelihood by offering them an online, readymade and hassle-free market.

As a pilot, brochures of all the products manufactured by the SHGs will be put up on an intranet site especially created for the purpose accessible by employees. Soon, this will be scaled up to include the bank’s entire customer base.

Announcing the initiative in Chennai, Mr. Rajender Sehgal, Senior Executive Vice President, HDFC Bank said, “We realised that women running small micro enterprises and SHGs from their homes, besides timely and adequate credit, required support by way of market linkage. Lack of marketing infrastructure deprives them from getting the right value for their produce as intermediaries in the value chain would corner most of that. This online market linkage programme promises to offer SHGs direct online access to a wider market by crunching the sales chain and getting both the SHGs and their members a better value proposition.”