The Chief Minister has examined the report submitted by the Sundaradevan committee, which was formed to look into the challenges faced by the MSME sector in Tamil Nadu, and has directed to take appropriate action, Tamil Nadu Minister for MSMEs and Rural Industries T.M. Anbarasan told the Assembly.
After coming back to power, the DMK government constituted a thirteen-member committee, headed by retired IAS officer Sundaradevan, to study and suggest immediate, medium and long-term measures to help revive the MSME sector.
The Minister also made a slew of announcements for the year 2022-23 and said TANSIDCO would establish a new industrial estate in Cuddalore district on 29 acres at a project cost of ₹13 crore, with the potential to generate 1,000 jobs. Another industrial estate would come up at Lingampatti in Kovilpatti taluk, on 54 acres at a project cost of ₹25 crore.
A private industrial estate will also be established by all automobile services cluster in Cuddalore district on 11.41 acres at a project cost of ₹4.50 crore, with government of Tamil Nadu grant-in-aid of ₹3.50 crore for shifting existing automobile service units to avoid space constraints.
Mr. Anbarasan said the target under the Tamil Nadu Start-up Seed Grant Fund (TANSEED) programme would be doubled from 50 to 100 beneficiaries in a year. All the TANSEED-grantees will get professional acceleration support from qualified accelerators, arranged by TANSIM from 2022-23 onwards, at ₹10 crore. TTo encourage and recognise entrepreneurs from deprived category, State-level best entrepreneur award would be given from this year onwards, he added.
The Minister, in his announcements, said a blending and packaging unit would come up at INDCOSERVE at the Nilgiris district to improve the profitability of tea factories. Improved packaging, including tetra pack, tin box packaging and dip-tea bag packaging, will be done ‘’in house’ at one place.
To help eligible entrepreneurs, whose businesses were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, re-establish their business or start a new business, a subsidy-linked loan scheme with maximum subsidy of ₹25 lakh would be offered, the Minister said. To support MSMEs, which face a liquidity crisis preventing them from undertaking technology upgradation/ modernisation to enhance their productivity, a maximum subsidy of ₹25 lakh, a new scheme named “COVID Assistance and Relief to Entrepreneurs” (CARE) will be implemented for a year with an allocation of ₹50 crore.