Minister for Industries and Commerce,Chander Parkash Ganga today called for bringing innovation in Paper Machie, Wood Carving and Pashmina arts to boost marketability for these heritage products.The Minister said this while speaking at a seminar on “Empowering and Reinventing MSMEs” with special reference to Paper Machie, Wood Carving & Pashmina Arts. The seminar was organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry at a local hotel here.
“Innovation and cost pruning hold the key to meeting the global challenge of rising demand for products from developed countries and,” Ganga said while emphasizing the need for promoting innovative designs.He said there is a huge talent in local artisans which need to be explored further by providing them appropriate platforms for the same.
He said better and advanced marketing strategies need to be employed to ensure better returns for the local products especially in the handicraft sector.Ms Bindoo Ranjan Coordinator Design Clinic Scheme for MSMEs, National Institute of Design Ahmadabad gave a detailed presentation about the evolution of design process and how one can benefit from it.In her presentation, she talked in detail about the various components of the Design Clinic Scheme and how a MSME unit or association can avail its benefits with minimal efforts. She quoted several instances of design projects implemented in India and said that more than 800 SME firms are now registered with the scheme.She further said that the Design Awareness Programme conducted through a Need Assessment Survey and Design Clinic workshop can be done through clusters or at individual levels directly. The Design Clinic Scheme is meant for enhancing design expertise of MSMEs.
Amina Asad, Chief Designer J&K Handicrafts said that the MSMEs can add value to products, services, and in the process to their firms. Design thinking and innovation enables a firm to improve/diversify products for everyday use, leading to reduced costs, increased utility and acceptability and new business opportunities.Mr. Mushtaq A. Chaya, Co-Chairman, J&K Committee of PHD Chamber in his welcome address said that with growing access to better technology, industries are increasingly competing at equal price and functionality.Mrs Kanchan Zutshi, Secretary, Committee on MSME, PHD Chamber while presenting Vote of Thanks said that our country has been witnessing an upsurge in knowledge, ideas and state-of-the-art technologies adopted by the MSME sector recently and many of these enterprises have been transformed into multi-national companies competing successfully in the global market. Innovation and being competitive is the need of the hour and MSME should not lag behind in this in order to be globally competitive, she said.