MSMEs keen on supplies to India Inc, PSUs

GUWAHATI: In order to cash in the multi-crore business of local purchase of goods done by corporates in Assam, the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development Institute, Government of India, has initiated a vendor development programme. Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), Guwahati Refinery and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) participated in the programme on Wednesday.

Amit Jain, director, Federation of Industry and Commerce of the North Eastern Region (FINER), felt entrepreneurs should be guided about the requirements of large-scale buyers like railways, refinery, ONGC and other PSUs. He added there should be a cell in PSUs to guide entrepreneurs on products that could locally be manufactured or procured. "A committee can be formed at the government level with representatives from entrepreneurs and PSUs to sort out issues pertaining to local purchase or manufacturing. The entrepreneurs here can even get into contract and manufacture goods for other companies located outside the state."

Sources in NRL said: "We require around 4000 different items. Some of these items include teflon items, spring, washer gasket, cement and safety shoes." Anuj Baruah, vice-president, All Assam Small Scale Industries Association (AASSIA) said all government organisations/PSUs can procure their required materials available so as to develop the local MSME units. He requested corporates and PSUs here to explore the possibilities of local purchase.