25-Aug-2022: Infrastructure Finance Secretariat, DEA, organises workshop to sensitise Centre and State Governments officials regarding empaneled Transaction Advisers (TAs) for Public Private Partnership (PPP) Projects
The Infrastructure Finance Secretariat in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, in continuation of its endeavour to boost infrastructure development in the country, today organised a workshop to sensitise the officials from the Central Infrastructure Line Ministries, States and UT Governments regarding empaneled transaction advisers for PPP projects. The workshop was attended by 250+ representatives of Centre and State Governments.
During the workshop, the officials were sensitised with the pivotal role of PPPs in boosting the infrastructure development of the country and the key interventions that are being undertaken by the Central Government. DEA sensitised the officials that the support can be taken from the empaneled Transaction Advisers to structure bankable PPP projects. The empanelment is done for making the process of appointment of transaction advisors/consultant Effortless, Efficient and Effective.
Officials were further sensitised with the manual developed by DEA i.e. Transaction Advisers for PPP projects: Manual for use of the panel. The manual is a step by step guide that can be referred by the project sponsoring authorities to on-board a transaction adviser. Officials were briefed with steps involved in the process viz., establishing project requirements; defining objectives of the assignment, developing terms of reference for the assignment, defining eligibility criteria, identifying key personnel for executing the project, Publishing RfP, etc.
The officials were also briefed regarding DEA schemes for financial support to PPPs which inter alia include Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme to support economically justified but commercially unviable projects, and the India Infrastructure Project Development Fund (IIPDF) to fund PPP project development expenses including costs of engaging Transaction Adviser.
The workshop witnessed an active participation from the Centre and State/UT Governments officials and the queries from the participants were also addressed. Further information regarding TA Panel, VGF Scheme and IIPDF is available on pppinindia.gov.in.
9-Dec-2020: India and UN-Based better than Cash Alliance organized a joint Peer learning exchange on fintech solutions for responsible digital payments at the last mile
Department of Economic Affairs ( DEA), Ministry of Finance today hosted a learning session “Accelerating Responsible Digital Payments: Unlocking the Role of Fintech in Last Mile Service Delivery” with leaders from States and Union Territories across India. This Peer Exchange is a result of the tremendous success and opportunities highlighted during COVID-19 and is co-organized with the UN-based Better Than Cash Alliance. United Nations, the Better Than Cash Alliance is a partnership of over 75 governments, companies and international organizations committed to accelerate the transition from cash to digital payments to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Various Ministries and agencies made presentations on Open APIs, Smart City Cards, Blockchain use cases, Account Aggregator Eco system etc. State Government presented case studies on use cases.
During the COVID-19 relief efforts, nearly Rs 68,000 crore of cash was provided as direct benefits transfers directly into the bank accounts of the most vulnerable. The Digital Payment Infrastructure established by Government of India including Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar and Mobile phone (JAM) was put to excellent use during the pandemic. The Government of India has taken several initiatives to foster innovation and adoption of technology to bring in greater inclusive growth. Globally, India is being viewed as a model in implementing initiatives where the barrier to technology is at its lowest ever.
DEA is keen to ensure that by leveraging the tremendous digital public infrastructure led by various Ministries under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister’s Digital India vision, States and Union Territories can play a pivotal role to unlock the network effect of digitization that ultimately benefits citizens and brings economic and social progress to all.
“Fintech has significantly permeated the payments landscape and these firms can be game-changing partners for Central Ministries, State Governments and even large Local Governments for service delivery at the last mile, especially for women and micro-enterprises. Government of India is keen to promote public service use cases of technologies like Blockchain, Machine Learning and Open APIs by all three levels of Government to enable delivery of Financial and other Services,” said Shri. K. Rajaraman, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and a lead member of India’s Steering Committee on Fintech. An Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on FinTech has been set up by Department of Economic Affairs under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Economic Affairs.
Based on the report of the Steering Committee, DEA has been driving fintech related interventions while also promoting usage of new age technologies by both public sector and private sector entities. The webinar brought together leaders of Central and State Governments to deliberate on the opportunities and the role of fintech in enabling digitization in sectors of national importance – land, agriculture, financial inclusion among others. State governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha, and Himachal Pradesh presented learning from successful fintech partnerships. Some States have announced FinTech Policies, while some have announced Blockchain and AI Policies.
“Low connectivity, low access to devices, and low literacy and financial capabilities are the lived realities of many Indians at the peripheries of Digital India. We applaud this important push by the Government to form new alliances and partnerships to deliver on the promises of Digital India to all,” said Keyzom, Asia-Pacific lead, Better Than Cash Alliance.
India became a member of the Better Than Cash Alliance in 2015 to digitize payments to achieve financial inclusion and to share success stories from Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, the world's largest financial inclusion program. Alliance is working with several state governments towards the goal of building knowledge and programs where people, governments, and businesses can make and receive digital payments.
28-Aug-2020: DEA holds Sustainable Finance Collaborative consultation with UNDP
The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme India launched the Sustainable Finance Collaborative on 26th August 2020. The consultation was held on 26th, 27th and 28th August over virtual platform which brought forth thematic discussions around some key aspects of Sustainable Finance.
The Collaborative saw a host of thematic discussions centred around the broad scope of Sustainable Finance architecture in India. It included dialogues on critical elements such as the barriers to deploying new and innovative financing such as impact investing, role of blended finance instruments, green finance instruments for sustainable development, need for taxonomy of environmentally sustainable activities, sustainability related disclosures by corporates, and preparing the financial sector for the risks posed by climate change and other environmental and social issues.
Around 220 delegates representing different ministries and departments of Government of India, Indian financial sector regulators, Multilateral Development Banks, bilateral partner agencies, UN entities, financial institutions, impact and commercial investors, corporates, industry associations, Civil Society Organizations and academia participated in the dialogue.
The Collaborative provided valuable insights and tangible recommendations that would be helpful in developing a Sustainable Finance framework/roadmap for India.
18-Aug-2022: NFDB conducts 9th Governing Body meeting in New Delhi
National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) conducted its 9th Governing Body meeting at Lecture Hall, NASC Complex, New Delhi today. Shri. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying chaired the Governing Body meeting. Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Vice Chairman of the governing body and Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, special invitee and other officials of the governing body, Member (Agriculture), Niti Ayog participated in the meeting. Minister from States who participated physically in the meeting were from Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Mizoram, Tripura & Sikkim. It was virtually attended by Ministers from States of Haryana and Puducherry. Shri Jatindra Nath Swain, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Government of India , Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member (Agriculture), NITI Aayog, and Secretaries of other Departments and 14 nominated Non-official governing body members from different states were also present in the meeting.
Shri Parshottam Rupala released a book on “Super Success Stories from Indian Fisheries” published by NFDB commemorating 75th Independence Day- Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations an outreach activity with a focus to disseminate the technologies, innovative ideas practiced by the small-scale farming sector and to expand the promotion of initiatives to larger population, successful fisheries and aquaculture practices across the country. It was followed by launch of an online market place feature “Aqua Bazar” app developed by ICAR-CIFA with the funding support of NFDB under PMMSY. The app will help the fish farmers and stakeholders to source the inputs such as fish seed, feed, medicines etc. and services required for fish culture as well as farmers can list the table size fish for sale. It is a market place which connects various stakeholders involved in aquaculture sector.
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan stated that there is immense potential for shrimp farming in the States of Rajasthan, UP, Haryana, Punjab. He added that aquaculture is developed in these states, they can compete with Andhra Pradesh in shrimp production. He said that extension services should be provided to farmers of these states. He added that Animal Welfare board facility can be utilized for establishment of training center. He further said that NFDB in collaboration with ICAR should make a plan for development of shrimp farming in the region.
Dr. L. Murugan, Vice Chairman stated that fisheries departments need to focus in infrastructure development projects, such as fishing harbours, fish landing centers, ice plants & cold storages. He further added that Government for the first time under the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav has taken up promotion of startups by the entrepreneurs to achieve the targeted fish production.
Shri Jatindra Nath Swain briefed about the role of NFDB in the fisheries sector, the technical arm of Department of Fisheries and its contribution in development of fisheries sector in the country.
Dr. Ramesh Chand, Member (Agriculture), NITI Aayog stated that fisheries sector is showing a record regular growth of around 8% during the past decade. He stated that Board should show the output and outcomes as per the objectives set to the Board. He stated that Andhra Pradesh is contributing about 52% of the inland fish production. He said that One District one Product has to be promoted and frontline technologies have to be applied in fisheries sector.
National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) was established in the year 2006 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with its headquarters at Hyderabad to realize the untapped potential of fisheries sector in inland and marine, fish culture, capture, processing & marketing of fish, and accelerate the overall growth of fisheries sector with the application of modern tools of research & development.
NFDB is headed by the Chief Executive. The Board is constituted with two levels of Committees, the Governing Body & Executive Committee for having a guidance on the administrative matters, activities of Board and any new amendments/rules that shall occur in the Board. The Governing Body meeting is held once in a year and Executive Committee meeting are held on quarterly basis. Till date, NFDB has organized 8Nos of Governing Body meetings under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Minister.
2-Aug-2022: National Workshop held on Role of cooperatives and federations in fisheries sector
National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Ministry of Fisheries, AH&D, GoI has organised a National level Workshop on the “Role of cooperatives and federations in fisheries sector-scope for an enhanced role in PMMSY and FIDF schemes” in Hyderabad today. The workshop aimed at involving the fisheries federations in implementation of the government fisheries development schemes for the benefit of fishers through the cooperative system. The programme served as an interactive platform for the fisheries federations to showcase their activities and share their experiences. The federations expressed their interest in exploring various opportunities, provisions available under schemes such as “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) & Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) for the benefit of fishermen and fisherwomen cooperatives. The workshop also highlighted the need to strengthen the fishers cooperatives with due focus to the gaps at the field level and challenges being faced by the cooperatives in different states. Awareness to the officials of fisheries federations was created on various Government of India schemes to enable them in tapping the financial resources from PMMSY and FIDF to help in the development of fishermen cooperatives.
The officials of the fisheries federations from 14 states i.e.; Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, National Cooperatives Development corporations (NCDC) and National level fisheries federation i.e.; National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives Ltd (FISHCOPFED) have participated in the workshop. Dr. C Suvarna IFS, Chief Executive, NFDB, has addressed the gathering by presenting initiatives of NFDB in encouraging the fisheries cooperatives through various interventions of schemes of Government of India, which includes Fish Farmer Producer Organizations (FFPOs). Also emphasised on the integration and coordination of workflow amongst the primary fishermen cooperative societies (PFCS) at the district and state level fisheries federations. Approaches for filling the gaps by overcoming the constraints, through branding, promotion activities, marketing, knowledge sharing amongst the fishermen cooperatives, conflict resolution mechanisms were discussed so as to make the cooperatives successful. The other dignitaries participated Shri P.D. Dheman, IFS, MD, Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Federation addressed on the role of federation in supporting the development of fishers. Shri. B. K. Mishra, MD (i/c), FISHCOPFED explained the role of the FISHCOPFED in supporting the fishers and the cooperatives and expressed that there are 22000 fishermen cooperative societies operational all over India and there is a need for the empowerment of PFCS in a professional manner. Director (F&TD) NCDC, Shri. Pradhu Paul Raj has presented NCDC activities and their role in developing Fisheries Federations, followed by sharing of experiences and success stories of MatsyaFed, Kerala, TAFCOFED, Tamil Nadu, Assam Fisheries Federation, Assam , Karnataka Cooperative Fisheries Federation, Karnataka, TSFCOF, Telangana, Odisha Fisheries Federation, Odisha, ZOFISHFED, Mizoram, Rajasthan Federation, AFCOF, Andhra Pradesh,, TAFCS, Tripura and Jharkhand State Cooperative Fisheries Federation, Jharkhand . The meeting ended with closing remarks by Dr. C. Suvarana, IFS, Chief Executive. It was expressed that conflicts between the panchayats and the cooperatives need to be resolved with intervention of the state fisheries department. There is a need to focus on the transport, marketing through cold chain development for which federation has to put forth the prime focus to support best price for the fishermen cooperatives and also capacity building programs. KCCs are important to be taken care by the fisher cooperatives and the federations. Overall 50 members participated in the interactive meeting.
3-Aug-2021: Fluctuation of Price of Fish Products
Fish is a perishable item and the price of fish products is market driven and dependent on several factors like demand, arrival of fish in market, fish size, species, type, season, accessibility, consumption pattern and region etc. The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying through the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) is implementing a Fish Market Price Information System (FMPIS) for collecting price details of different commercially important fish species from different fish markets. Based on these details, an analytical report is uploaded on the NFDB website on a weekly basis. This aims at promoting trading of commercially important fish species. FMPIS facilitates better marketability (fisher/seller) and accessibility (consumer/buyer).
3-Aug-2022: NIESBUD joins hands with Hindustan Unilever Limited to develop entrepreneurial skills and create sustainable livelihood opportunities
In an effort to inculcate a culture of innovation, imagination and proactiveness among youngsters, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for developing entrepreneurial skills among the youth and identifying other aspects for mutual collaboration. The alliance will further enhance employment generation and create sustainable livelihood opportunities, giving a major boost to nano and micro-entrepreneurship advancement in the country.
The MoU was signed by Dr Poonam Sinha, Director, NIESBUD and Smt Kanika Pal, South Asia Head – Community Investments & Sustainability Programs in the presence of Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Smt Anuradha Vemuri, Joint Secretary, MSDE, Shri Krishna Kumar Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, MSDE & Director General, NIESBUD and Smt Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director. Human Resources, HUL.
Under the partnership, both the entities will collaborate to organise training programmes, develop course curriculum, undertake cluster development activities, organise workshops and extend incubation support, provide industry linkages, assist trainees in linking up with suitable wage employment, etc.
Lauding the partnership, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, MSDE said that India, transforming into the Skill Capital of the World opens a horizon of new opportunities for its youth. Today, entrepreneurs are considered national assets and with the right skill training support, they can not only bring innovations to the business and provide world-class services, but also stimulate economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and alleviate poverty. Therefore, as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to empower and enable them in creating a world where we have more job providers than job seekers. It is my firm belief that this partnership will provide a roadmap for employment, growth, and entrepreneurship he added.
Smt Anuradha Razdan, Executive Director, Human Resources said that Skill development is the first and most important step towards building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and we at HUL wholeheartedly support this movement. As a company, we have made the social commitment to upskill and reskill over 15 lakh youth in India by 2030 to increase their chances of employability. We will also be upskilling our workforce to make them future-fit. As a key milestone in this direction, we have signed a partnership with NIESBUD and MSDE, where HUL will help promoting skill building and inculcate an entrepreneurial mindset among youngsters. We hope to build a long and meaningful association in the long run she added.
HUL is also contributing INR 63,00,000 to NIESBUD to support the Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Project, which aims at strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem, bringing in better market connectivity and inclusion of marginalised sections of the society.
12-Apr-2022: NIESBUD signs MoU with the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) Ranchi to jointly promote entrepreneurship in educational institutions
The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has signed MoU with the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ), Ranchi, with the goal of identifying mutual collaboration opportunities and promoting entrepreneurship in technical and professional education in India. The primary objective of this MOU is to combine the strengths of NIESBUD and Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ), Ranchi, towards the sustained development of entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurship education, and training. The collaboration is aimed at creating a conducive environment to promote entrepreneurship on and off campus through a series of mutually agreed, collaborative and value-added programmes, policies, and curriculum.
Under the partnership, both NIESBUD and Central University of Jharkhand will work together to boost Jharkhand’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. This will be achieved by extending their respective institutional expertise in terms of technology, knowledge, management, and resources. In addition, the institutions will organise a trainer's training programme in the areas of entrepreneurship skills and education. Furthermore, by working together, both institutions will be co-creating proposals and a trainer’s training programme for The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) countries. In addition to that, they would also be conducting joint events like seminars/workshops/outreach programmes in the area of common interest to encourage students to understand the intricacies of entrepreneurship.
The partnership will enable exchange of best practices and provide access to resources and knowledge repositories on request within the institutional capacity for better design of new programmes and policies in entrepreneurship.
Expressing his views on the MoU, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said that entrepreneurs are the drivers of the nation's economy, they stimulate development and generate employment. Inculcating entrepreneurial skills and spirit among the budding innovators of tomorrow is a part of the national push towards making India a hub of innovation, he added.
He further said that the partnership promises to create a conducive ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs, which will enhance the country’s research and industrial development as well. With initiatives like these, the ministry is sprinting toward Aatmanirbharta and actively co-designing new policies and curricular programmes to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in technical and professional education in India.
The MoU was signed and exchanged between Dr Poonam Sinha, Director, The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Professor Kshiti Bhusan Das, Vice Chancellor and Dr Devdas Laata, Head, Department of Energy Engineering, the Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ), Ranchi, in the presence of Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship India.
The MoU will be valid for a period of five years. Both institutions will appoint appropriate representatives as needed and by the MoU's expectations to support proper planning, review, and implementation.
7-Mar-2022: NIESBUD signs an MoU with Ministry of Rural Development for implementing the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme
National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) — an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to develop a sustainable model for promoting entrepreneurship at the grass roots by initiating the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP).
SVEP is a sub-component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development. It aims to support entrepreneurs in rural areas to set-up enterprises at the village-level in non-agricultural sectors. The partnership will enable the rural community by helping them set up their trades and provide complete support till they are stabilized. This pragmatic intervention will provide knowledge, advisory and financial support to the public and will help create village-level community cadre.
Under the partnership rural entrepreneurs will be able to access banking systems for receiving financial support for starting their enterprises, including support from MUDRA bank. Integrated ICT techniques and tools will also be provided for training and capacity building along with enterprise advisory services to augment the entrepreneurship ecosystem in India’s villages. The beneficiaries of the project are from the Self-Help Group (SHG) ecosystem of DAY-NRLM and the scheme not only supports existing enterprises but new enterprises as well.
On the partnership, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship said that the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has highlighted that Indians should dream of becoming job creators from job seekers and in this regard, SVEP will help create an innovative ecosystem, accelerating economic and social gains at the community level. He informed that the scheme also aims at building an inclusive society by providing equal opportunities to all along with the required financial support. Shri Aggarwal highlighted that India is a land of opportunities and by helping our youth access these prospects, we are catering to their aspirations. He expressed his confidence that this partnership will help in training the rural community and will provide them with necessary resources for entrepreneurship to increase their income and will pave the way for building Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Shri Aggarwal stressed that rural entrepreneurship can play a significant role in the overall economic development of India and a huge number of employment opportunities can be generated because of the rural entrepreneurship for the people who are living in rural or remote geographies. The old-age artistic heritage has also been conserved by protecting as well as promoting the rural entrepreneurship, he added. He informed that from past few years, Skill India has been working persistently to bridge the skill gap by giving entrepreneurs easy access to funding, providing the right mentorship, and improving ease of doing business in the country.