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Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Programs: ESDP & ATI Schemes under MSME

Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme -ESDP and Assistance to Training Institutions -ATI are schemes under the Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Programs governed and initiated by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. Let’s learn about these schemes in detail in this blog.

Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Programs: An Initiative by Ministry of MSME

The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises work towards developing and promoting the Indian Small and cottage based industries and numerous other medium scale businesses.

Entrepreneurship & Skill Development Programs are type of programs/schemes designed with an initiative to develop various skills in entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme {ESDP}

Under this program various business owners are provided a chance to develop their skills and work towards growing their businesses. Additionally, it also encourages individuals towards self employment.

The department organizes regular Entrepreneurship Development Programs to nurture the talent of youth talent and enlighten them on various aspects of industrial activity required for setting up an MSE. Generally these EDPs are conducted in Polytechnics, ITIs, and other technical institutions where numerous skills are available to encourage them towards self-employment.

Primarily, 20% of the total targeted of ESDPs is exclusively conducted for weaker sections of the society such as, the SC, ST, Women and physical handicapped {PHs}. Additionally, a stipend of Rs. 500 is provided per month to every candidate under the promotional package for micro and small enterprises {MSEs}. Also, the candidates are not changed with any fees for attending any skill development program under this scheme.

Enterprise Development Centers in ESDP

Enterprise Development Centers or ESDs are established at district level under the vigilance of the MSME Development Institutes or Technology centers. These centers have two verticals namely, Enterprise Development Vertical and Skill Development Vertical. These two verticals work together and provide handholding support in creating business enterprises and imparting skill training.

Enterprise Development Vertical mainly focuses on the following;

• Mentoring and incubation
• Ideation
• Credit facilitation and market accessibility
• Enterprise clinic diagnostic studies during sickness, counseling and other facilities

Skill Development Vertical primarily focuses on providing information on in-depth market intelligence. It guides the potential job seekers to get relevant skills through various institutions and agencies in relevant sectors. 

ESDP Modules

The ESDP consists of the following modules;

• Industrial Motivational Campaign {IMC}
• Entrepreneurial Awareness Programme {EAP}
• Entrepreneurship-Cum-Skill Development Programme {E-SDP}
• Management Development Programme {MDP}

These modules are conducted through different field officers of the DC (MSME) that are approved by the Empowered Committee lend by the AS & DC, MSME.

Financial Aid

Almost 5% of the annual budget under the scheme is used to provide training aids, equipment and other related infrastructure to enhance the quality of the training activities in the TCs, MSME DIs and EDCs and training activities at HQ level.

Additionally, there is a provision is made to provide 10% to the EDCs, MSME DIs, TCs and HQ office to organize interactive meetings. This also includes the national or regional workshops hiring, etc. for HQ and ESDP activities by obtaining expert guidance for the training at the district levels.

Assistance to Training Institutions {ATI}

The assistance under this scheme is provided to the National Level Institutions that are operating under the Ministry of MSME, namely, KVIC, Coir Board, NIMSME, Tool Rooms, NSIC and MGIRI in the form of capital grant for the purposes of creation and strengthening of the infrastructure. Also, provide support for entrepreneurship development and skill development training programs. Additionally, the assistance is provided to exiting State Level EDIs for creation and expansion or strengthening of the training infrastructure.

Nature of aid

The amount of assistance cannot exceed the actual amount for the expansion/ strengthening of the infrastructure required by training institutes set-up by the Ministry of MSME. Scale of maximum assistance to the state level EDIs is restricted to Rs. 2.5 crore in each case. And the assistance for skill development programs is provided as per the specified rates.

Who can Apply?

The institutions of Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and existing State Level EDIs can apply for the assistance.

How to Apply?

The organizations that wish to apply for the assistance for creation and strengthening of infrastructure can send their applications to the Director or Deputy Secretary of EDI, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Udyog Bhavan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi.

In Conclusion

Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme {ESDP} and Assistance to Training Institutions {ATI} are programs governed under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises {MSME} to encourage and develop entrepreneurial skills in existing businesses. This is done by conducting various training program by numerous authorized centers. Also, through these schemes the government is planning to help develop grow the self employment rate in the country.