Progressing J&K
Jammu & Kashmir Khadi & Village Industries Board (KVIB) is establishing and nurturing an entrepreneurial ecosystem under micro and village industries sector across Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. KVIB has an important role in Employment Generation, through various schemes they are implementing in J&K. KVIB significantly improves sustainable development of Village and Traditional Industries by planning, promoting and organising Khadi, Village and Micro Industries Sector. They facilitate creation of employment opportunities for unemployed youth, artisans by helping them to establish their own village / micro industrial units.
As per KVIB artisans are empowered to produce customer-savvy products and foster a strong rural community spirit by establishing a sustainable and dynamic village and traditional industries sector. He added that KVIB helps in improve design and productivity of Khadi and village industries sector. Government of India has approved the introduction of a new credit linked subsidy programme called Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) by merging two schemes -Prime Ministers Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) and Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) for generation of employment opportunities through establishment of micro enterprises in rural as well as urban areas. PMEGP is a central sector scheme administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME). The Scheme is implemented by Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC), a statutory organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of MSME as the single nodal agency at the National level. The Government subsidy under the scheme is routed by KVIC through the identified Banks for eventual distribution to the beneficiaries/ entrepreneurs in their Bank accounts. The Implementing Agencies, KVIC, KVIBs and DICs associate reputed Non-Government Organization (NGOs)/reputed autonomous institutions/Self Help Groups (SHGs)/ National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)/Udyami Mitras empanelled under Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana (RGUMY), Panchayati Raj institutions and other relevant bodies in the implementation of the Scheme, especially in the area of identification of beneficiaries, of area specific viable projects, and providing training in entrepreneurship development. Thirty-one year old Farida Akhtar had set-up Anna’s Boutique with the help of KVIB which is considered as a trend setter in Dooru area of Anantnag. “I am happy that I am an entrepreneur, but it was not an easy task for me. I worked for several years under a local tailor, who taught me basics of dressmaking, but it was absolutely traditional tailoring,” said Farida, adding that her passion in dressmaking motivated her to learn out of the way designing with the help of KVIB. Similarly, Nardeep Singh setup a unit ‘Singh Hydraulic Equipments’ with the help of KVIB to become self sufficient. He says, “Businesses that manage to stick with pains and gains last longest and shine brightest”.