Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises; Government of India & Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH are implementing a bilateral cooperation project- ‘Innovation, Modernization & Qualification’ (MSME INNO)’. This project aims to improve the local innovation ecosystem through fostering cooperation between different stakeholders and strengthening the innovation management capacity and sustainability of MSMEs in India. The project seeks to strengthen the innovation system by systematically fostering cooperation between companies, research institutions, government, service providers and larger enterprises for introduction and dissemination of new technologies, products, processes and/or business model innovation.

MSME INNO is working with selected Business Membership Organizations (BMOs) to act as an ‘innovation-enabler’ so that they develop systemic collaborations and linkages with technical/research/academic institutes; large industries; supply chain partners; public institutions & other relevant stakeholders to offer different ‘innovation assistance services’ to their member MSMEs. The project will be supporting these BMOs so that they in turn will support their MSMEs to ideate (product/ process/ business model innovation), leverage public funds, network with knowledge and technology institutions etc.

Nagpur is one of the locations where MSME INNO has been working. MSME INNO has collaborated with MIA, academic institutions like VNIT, Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering & Management, KDK College of Engineering and Cummins College of Engineering for Women and few other government agencies in the region to foster cooperation between industry, academia and government and thereby strengthen the innovation capacity and sustainability of MSMEs.

We established an Innovation Facilitation Center representing SMEs of Automotive, Engineering, Foundries and related sector. The Innovation Facilitation Cell is established and integrated within the functioning of the BMO and stated organizing innovation promotion programmes/events on a regular basis and for creating & nurturing linkages with critical stakeholders that influence innovation ecosystem for its member MSMEs in Nagpur Cluster.

The specific objectives of IFC will be:

• Organising information and knowledge programmes for promoting innovation in SMEs
• Introducing MSMEs to innovation practices & helping them develop system of innovation
• Supporting to create and nurture linkages with stakeholders (buyers, academia, government, banks etc) for promoting innovation at cluster level
• Supporting to develop and offer ‘innovation assistance services‘ for MSMEs

Major Activities of MIA – GIZ Innovation Facilitation Cell for Year 2019 are:

• Organize regular training/workshops and factory visits on Intervention Areas like:
  • Welding Technology : Towards Zero Defect
  • Best practices in foundry
  • Product Quality Improvement and Certification by means of Standardization and Testing for Electronics Industry
• Student Innovation Projects

At present more than 100 students of 4 institutes are working on 30 industry problems. This activity commenced from December 2018. In the first phase 18 Industries participated in this activity. We at MIA–GIZ IFC need active participation from MIA members to generate a data bank of technical problems faced by MSMEs and we will organize student-innovation projects every year under Innovation cell taking problem statements from industries as the subject.

We as Innovation Cell planned regular networking meets and events to seek inputs from their members and accordingly will organize awareness and capacity building initiatives.