What are Schemes?

The 4th of July 2020 has been quite a historic day for the Indian startups and the gear that the startups of India have got after that day because it is on the same day that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has announced the launch of the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge". With this launch, PM Modi urged the startups of India to come together and develop ‘Made in India’ applications that will facilitate not only the people of India but the whole world. In his tweet, PM urged all the tech and startup community to come forward and develop world-class mobile applications under the challenge.

The startups require intensive networking and information about other business ventures. This scheme provides information on business, technology and finance to MSMEs, and also exhibit core competencies of Indian SMEs. This is done through MSME Global mart - www.msmemart.com. These information is available through annual membership of the portal.A free membership plan is also provided with limited access and services and a Gold membership plan for SC/STs is also provided with full access and services, which is free of charge.

The scheme facilitates development of domestic and export markets, skill development and training, empowerment of women, employment/entrepreneurship creation and development, enhanced rawcmaterial utilization, trade related services, welfare activities for the coir workers, etc.

SIDBI recognizes the operational and financial challenges being faced by the start-ups and endeavors during COVID-19 Pandemic to provide financial assistance and stability via its scheme viz. Covid-19 Startup Assistance Scheme (‘CSAS’). Purpose: To provide interim support to startups whose cash flow and liquidity has been adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The assistance can be used for various working capital requirements like salaries / wages, rent, administrative expenses, payment to vendors etc.  

Biotech start up journey, especially for first time entrepreneurs, is full of hurdles, both technological as well as business related such as business plan and market entry strategies, navigating regulatory hurdles, connecting and pitching to VCs and networking with future stakeholders. There is a greater realisation within the biotech community regarding the importance of focused mentorship which can help accelerate nascent biotech start up. BIRAC is therefore envisaging designing and implementing an equity based fund for supporting entrepreneurs in the valley of death.

The Small Exporter's Policy is basically the Standard Policy, incorporating certain improvements in terms of cover, in order to encourage small exporters to obtain and operate freely without the different type of risks like Political and Commercial. It is issued to exporters whose anticipated export turnover for the period of one year does not exceed INR 1 crores. 

The programme on Ayurvedic Biology was initiated primarily by the office of the Principal ScientificAdvisor to the Government of India. The programme, now reconceived, is being implemented by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB). Against this background, the SERB constituted a Task Force to promote the application of basic sciences in the investigation of Ayurvedic concepts, procedures and products, and nurture the discipline of Ayurvedic Biology.

Biotechnology Industry Partnership Programme (BIPP) is a government partnership with Industries for support on a cost sharing basis for path-breaking research in frontier futuristic technology areas having major economic potential and making the Indian industry globally competitive. It is focused on IP creation with ownership retained by Indian industry and wherever relevant, by collaborating scientists. BIPP supports the development of appropriate technologies in the context of recognized national priorities in the area of agriculture, health, bio-energy, green manufacturing, when the scale of the problem has serious consequences for social and economic development. BIPP is an Advanced Technology Scheme only for high risk, transformational technology/ process development. It is for high risk futuristic technologies and mainly for viability gap funding. The uniqueness of this scheme is that it is for "Break through research" which enables product and process development and is patentable, with IP ownership rights resting with industry.

Bio-incubation allows harnessing of the entrepreneurial potential of start ups by providing access to infrastructure as well as mentoring and networking platforms that the start ups could use during their fledgling days. The Startup India Action Plan has necessitate creation of new bio-incubation space that are world class and that can provide cutting edge access to the best bio- incubation environs for propelling innovative ideas towards productization. BIRAC’s focus has been creation of a biotechnology startup environment in the country. It has taken a couple of strategic implementation programmes that span from provide funding to early stage ideas through grants, creation of bioincubators at strategic locations (through BioNEST) and extend mentorship and networking opportunities to startups Through BioNEST, BIRAC has supported 20 bioincubators that are at various stages of operationalization with the cumulative area of 200000 sq.ft. Out of this approximately 100,000 sft space is currently active for incubation. The 20 bioincubators are placed either within academic/research clusters or stand-alone incubators either privately funded or funded by State Governments. The new growth in biotech startups would require either scaling of existing bio-incubation space in current biotech hubs or creation of new bio- incubation space at nascent hubs that have the potential to become bigger biotech hubs in the next decade. Further, the creation of new bio- incubation space should be cognizant about the differential needs of varied nature of biotech startups- especially those that are medtech (including medical electronics hardware), biopharma, agri-biotech and biomaterials.

The NewGen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (NewGen IEDC) is being promoted in educational institutions to develop institutional mechanism to create entrepreneurial culture in S&T academic institutions and to foster techno-entrepreneurship for generation of wealth and employment by S&T persons. The NewGen IEDCs are established in academic institutions (science colleges, engineering colleges, universities, management institutes) having requisite expertise and infrastructure.  

With Aim of 'Make in India' and 'Zero Defect and Zero Effect' in manufacturing, the government provides credit linked capital investment subsidy. This scheme would facilitate augmenting of investment, productivity, quality, employment, exports and import subsitution in textile industry. It will also indirectly promote investment in textile machinery manufacturing.

Ministry of tourism through this particular aims to project India as a multidimensional tourist destination by inviting the foreign media (stakeholders) to promote the Brand 'India'. This scheme also provides financial assitance to local tourist operators/agencies/travel startups/hoteliers to promote by various activites in NE states and Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme also caters to promotion of unexploited and less visited places. 

The programmes under the scheme ‘Export Development and Promotion’ aims to support exporters to adopt high tech processing technologies or to upgrade existing level of technologies for high end value addition and to develop capabilities to meet the changing food safety standards in the importing countries. The scheme also caters to promoting the Indian spices exporter by assisting them in promotion of Indian Goods in International Trade Fairs, Seminars, etc. by reimbursing their  expenditure on the same.

Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programmes are organized regularly to train and make the youth aware of the various requirements and know-how for setting up MSEs. The idea is to bridge the skill divide in the country. These EDPs are generally conducted in ITIs, Polytechnics, and other technical institutions. The idea is to motivate the youth towards becoming job creators rather than job seekers.20% of the ESDPs are conducted exclusively for SC/ST/women and P.H. members of the society. It is a free-of-cost program

This is a credit linked subsidy scheme for setting up of coir units with project cost upto Rs.10 lakhs plus one cycle of working capital, which shall not exceed 25% of the project cost. Working capital will not be considered for subsidy. The scheme main objective is to facilitate sustainable development of the Coir Industry in the country and is under the ambit of Minsitry of MSME.

The Ministry of Tourism has a scheme for granting approval to hotel projects from the point of view of this suitability for international tourists. A classification committee set up by the Ministry classifies the functioning hotels under the star system into six categories from star one to five star deluxe. Similarly, the Ministry has a scheme of approving Travel Agents, Tour Operators, Adventure Tour Operators and Tourist Transport Operators, the idea being to encourage quality, standard and service in these categories so as to promote Tourism in India.This is a voluntary scheme open to all bonafide agencies.

TIDE 2.0 will promote tech entrepreneurship through financial and technical support to incubators engaged in supporting ICT startups primarily engaged in using emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, Block-chain, Robotics etc. in pre-identified areas of societal relevance. The Scheme will be implemented through empowering 51 incubators in India and handholding close to 2000 tech start-ups over a period of 5 years. The scheme envisions creating a holistic ecosystem to support technology startups and incubation centers through identifying and creating necessary linkages.

Swarojgar Credit Card (SCC) Scheme was introduced in September 2003 for providing adequate, timely and uninterrupted credit, i.e., working capital including consumption needs and/or block capital requirements to the small artisans, handloom weavers and other self -employed persons including micro-entrepreneurs, SHGs, etc., from the banking system in a flexible, hassle free and cost effective manner.

This scheme is for individual beneficiaries and is implemented through the SCAs.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) set up on 2nd April 1990 under an Act of Indian Parliament, acts as the Principal Financial Institution for Promotion,Financing and Development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector as well as for co-ordination of functions of institutions engaged in similar activities

The Programme extends partial support on a selective basis, for organizing seminar / symposia/ training programmes / workshops / conferences at national as well as international level. The support is provided to Research Institutes/ Universities/Medical and Engineering Colleges and other Academic Institutes/ Professional Bodies who organize such events for the scientific community to keep them abreast of the latest developments in their specific areas. The support is generally given for encouraging participation of young scientists and research workers in such events and publication of proceedings / abstracts for wider dissemination. The Programme also supports S&T Professional bodies.