The Orissa government has decided to develop four clusters under the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP) being implemented by the Union ministry for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Orissa govt to develop four MSME clusters

Business Standard

Margins however continue to be under pressure.

Leather units' order books improve

As per Para 5.5 (i) of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), up to 50 per cent of the export obligation may be fulfilled by exports of other good(s) manufactured or service(s) provided by the same firm/company, or group company/managed hotel, which has the EPCG authorisation. So, you can use the exports of a group company but not any other company. However, in such cases, additional export obligation imposed shall be over and above average exports achieved by the unit/company/group company/managed hotel in the preceding three years for both the original and the substitute product(s)/service(s), despite exemptions in Para 5.7.6 of the Handbook of Procedures (HBP v1). EPCG authorisation issued prior to 1.4.2008 will be governed by earlier policy provisions.

'Export obligation may be fulfilled by group company'

After completing the fourth census of registered micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Uttarakhand recently, the department of industries is facing another arduous task &mdash; that of surveying unregistered units.

Census of unregistered SMEs underway

The Federation of Corrugated Box Manufacturers (FCBM) has urged the Indian government to remove the anomaly in the excise duty structure between paper manufacturers, who pay 4 per cent excise, and corrugators who are required to pay 8 per cent. The relaxation in duty structure is also expected to remove additional load on the industry by reducing the cost for customers.

Corrugated box makers demand 'green' status

The Indian chit fund industry generates an estimated 3.39 per cent of household savings (or Rs 5.88 crore), compared to 4.92 per cent invested in shares and debentures. Over 95 per cent of chit fund companies are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and they are important sources of finance for SMEs operating in other sectors.

Chit funds generate 3.4% of household savings: Study

Jalandhar&rsquo;s Rs 600 crore sports industry, which was reeling under a severe scarcity of export orders in the last fiscal year, expects positive growth in the current fiscal year.

Jalandhar sports cluster expects to bounce back

Condition no. (v) of the customs notification no. 96/2009 dated 11.09.2009 says that in respect of imports made after the discharge of export obligation against advance authorisation, if facility of Cenvat under Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 has been availed, then the importer shall, at the time of clearance of the imported materials, furnish a bond to the Customs, binding himself to use the imported materials in his factory or in the factory of his supporting manufacturer for the manufacture of dutiable goods and to submit a certificate, from the jurisdictional C. Ex. officer or from a specified CA within six months from the date of clearance of the said materials, that the imported materials have been so used.

'Dutiable goods may be cleared for export under bond'

The DS Group is repositioning its Rs 95 crore Catch spices brand as a part of a new strategy that portrays the brand as the intelligent choice for a consumer who is both quality-conscious and price-conscious.

Catch spices being repositioned

Fifty years have elapsed since the handloom industry in Panipat was established, but the state government has taken no steps to set up a special cluster for handloom units in the town. As a result, say manufacturers, the industry&rsquo;s growth is being stifled.

Haryana handloom sector's growth stifled

When the Indian motorcycle industry used little or no automotive electronics, Vijay Chheda boldly decided to enter this segment in 1995. As Indian two-wheelers started competing globally, they got more high-tech, and Chheda&rsquo;s investment began to pay off. Chheda Electricals and Electronics Pvt Ltd (CEEPL) is now an electronic automotive products supplier to almost all of India&rsquo;s two-wheeler makers.

'There is huge market potential to be tapped overseas'

The contribution of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to India&rsquo;s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to go up by a minimum of five percentage points to 22 per cent of GDP by 2012, according to a paper published by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).

SMEs' share in GDP to rise to 22% in 2012

Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust, a non-profit organisation, aims to support 5,000 entrepreneurial ventures in the next five years.

2,000 entrepreneurs... and still counting

We are an Export Oriented Unit (EOU). We want to de-bond into DTA.

'Stocks-in-process must pay excise on clearance date'

Encouraged by improving consumer sentiment, Kolkata&rsquo;s apparel manufacturers are expanding manufacturing capacities and investing in retail expansion. Even unorganised players are introducing apparel brands in order to take on organised players, building on &ldquo;value&rdquo; retailing concepts.

Kolkata apparel units increase capacities, ad spends

Toeing the lines of their Tirupur and Surat counterparts, hundreds of small and medium hosiery makers are now trying to build up their online presence to cash in on the improving market situation. Around 30 of them have already registered their products with a leading online textile maketing portal &lsquo;fibre2fashion.com&rsquo;.

Uttar Pradesh hosiery makers adopt online marketing

Access Development Services (ADS), a national-level technical services company, has initiated a programme to provide business development services (BDS) for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in the processing of cashew and kewda, a thorny flower.

Cashew and kewda units to get help

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Punjab are investing substantially in automating their processes, despite facing challenges on various fronts (such as deficit power, labour shortage and a cumbersome tax structure) and the squeeze on their margins due to the downturn in the last one year.

Punjab SMEs invest in automation

After two bad years and a recession that saw demand fall by 40 to 50 per cent, the Rs 700-800 crore plywood industry in Uttarakhand is expecting a robust growth in the wake of signs of recovery in the real estate business.

Plywood industry sees robust growth

When an overseas customer wishes to do business with an entrepreneur in India, the customer may not be sure about the credibility of the entrepreneur. What helps is a recognised neutral third party validating the entrepreneur and his business.

D&B launches 'trust seal' for smaller units

Having faced the heat of economic slowdown, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in North India can finally breathe easy with the Government of India launching a scheme to improve their productivity.

SME clusters to benefit from 'Lean Manufacturing Scheme'

SME: Find all the latest news on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in India. Explore more for the top headlines about SME sector on Business Standard.

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