 scheme, e-commerce access for MSEs, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)){kind=link}
To celebrate MSME Day 2024, MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi introduced a new scheme called Trade Enablement & Marketing (TEAM). The scheme, which will last for three years, aims to help micro and small enterprises (MSEs) access e-commerce through the government’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). The government has allocated Rs 277.35 crore for this initiative.
MSEs face several challenges when it comes to accessing e-commerce, such as limited digital access, financial constraints, and a lack of confidence in operating on digital platforms. The TEAM scheme intends to address these issues by providing support to Udyam-registered MSEs. This support includes assistance with catalogue development, onboarding on ONDC, and account management.
Under the scheme, MSEs will also receive subsidies for transportation, logistics, and packaging, including packaging designs.
The ministry expects around 5 lakh MSEs to benefit from the TEAM scheme over the next three years, with 50 percent of them being women-owned enterprises. To raise awareness about the scheme and encourage MSEs to join the ONDC platform, the ministry plans to organize 150 e-commerce workshops in tier 2 and 3 cities, as well as MSME clusters.
The scheme has been launched under the World Bank-supported RAMP program and will be implemented by the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC).
During the launch, Minister Manjhi highlighted that the MSME initiatives are built upon six pillars. These pillars include formalization and access to credit, increased access to markets and e-commerce adoption, increased productivity through modern technology, enhanced skill levels and digitalization in the service sector, support for the khadi, village, and coir industry to expand globally, and empowerment of women and artisans through enterprise creation.
In addition to the TEAM scheme, the minister also introduced the Yashasvini campaign, which aims to support 1 lakh women entrepreneurs in smaller cities by providing them with skill development and capacity building opportunities. The campaign will focus on empowering women in MSMEs, and the ministry plans to increase its efforts in tier 2 and 3 cities. The goal is to support 1 lakh women entrepreneurs within one year.
Rajneesh, the Additional Secretary and Development Commissioner of the MSME Ministry, stated, “The campaign is dedicated to women MSMEs. We will have increased campaigns in tier 2 and 3 cities as skilling and capacity building is another element of the campaign, and in one year we want to handhold and support 1 lakh women entrepreneurs.”