Skill, Labour, Talent for MSMEs: In order to address the challenge of reverse migration of migrant workers for MSMEs, which emerged through the Covid pandemic, cluster mapping, and a big cluster-based talent development strategy is essential, mentioned a study by Grant Thornton Bharat and SIDBI on Monday that carried out a fast profile of migrant labour in 11 states to recommend options. The report highlighted digitisation of monetary and non-monetary services, setting up of digital platforms to provide access to e-organization services for current enterprises, involvement of technical institutions as remedy centres amongst other suggestions.
“Enhanced competitiveness, progressive strengthening and rapid transformation of the ecosystem are expected to help multiply the contribution of the MSME sector. For India to emerge as a global value chain leader, strengthening of the enterprise value chain is essential,” Sivasubramanian Ramann, Chairman and managing director of SIDBI mentioned in a statement.
The UK Sinha Committee on MSMEs had advised a more focused engagement of SIDBI with state governments for which it had partnered with Grant Thornton Bharat as Project Management Unit (PMU). The report noted that PMU by means of its variety of help and facilitation services is working with the respective states to strengthen their enterprise ecosystem. “These states account for 56 per cent of the total MSMEs in the country. The PMU units set up by Grant Thornton Bharat under the aegis of SIDBI are working with respective state governments on the convergence of various central government schemes,” it mentioned. The report cited skilling, reskilling, and upskilling as vital elements to provide jobs and enterprise possibilities to migrant labour.
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“The report aims at bridging the gaps between MSMEs and central as well as state governments, to gain an in-depth understanding of the ground-level challenges faced by MSMEs and assist them in creating an ideal ecosystem. The rapid profiling of 11 states is carried out to facilitate and assist policymakers and other stakeholders to plan the action to help these migrant workers for setting up their own enterprises/livelihood options,” mentioned Kunal Sood, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat.
25-40 lakh estimated quantity of workers had moved back to their hometowns from Gujarat involving April and June, the report noted. “Likewise, a report by the Delhi Transport Department suggested that over eight lakh migrant workers left the national capital in the first four weeks of the lockdown imposed in the second wave of the pandemic. In Rajasthan, more than 58 lakh migrant workers have been affected.”