(a) the total number of small entrepreneurs in the country at present;
(b) whether the Government has formulated any action plan to train the small entrepreneurs to enable them to function under WTO regime;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has entered into any agreement with any agency in this regard; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI KAMAL NATH)
(a): The number of units in the Small Scale Industry (SSI) sector that are run by small entrepreneurs as on March, 2005 is roughly estimated to be 118.59 lakh. Of these, 16.38 lakh SSI units are registered with the government.
(b) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 632 FOR ANSWER ON 10th MAY,2005 REGARDING ` TRAINING TO SMALL ENTREPRENEURS`
(b) to (c): The Government has been organising training, workshops and sensitisation programmes with a view to enabling SSI entrepreneurs to operate in the post WTO global trading regime. Measures initiated by the Government aimed at improving the competitiveness of the small entrepreneurs include assistance for technology up-gradation, infrastructure assistance through the cluster approach, encouraging adoption of modern management practices, creation of an electronic infrastructure with related IT applications and dissemination of marketing and other pertinent information.
(d) to (e): The training programmes for small entrepreneurs are conducted on a regular basis by the Government through the Small Industries Service Institutes (SISI), National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) in NOIDA, National Institute of Small Industry Extension Training (NISIET) at Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) at Guwahati.