SME Business to sign deals with MP and other state govts

SME Business Services Ltd, a public-private partnership of Punjab Infotech with a private service provider, has proposed to sign a joint venture partnership deal with the states of Maharashtra, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh to showcase the small and medium entrepreneurs in the global market.

At present, SME Business Ltd is working only in Punjab and will replicate the same model in other states. Punjab Infotech is likely to remain a partner even in the other states.

SME Business Services Ltd has also inked a programme with Intel for the e-enablement of SMEs to make them globally competitive.

This would be accessible to all without any cost to encourage the small entrepreneurs understand the benefits of information technology in growth of business.

According to SME Business Services Ltd Chief Executive Officer Deepak Nanda, the poor marketing strategies of the small and medium enterprises (SME) of Punjab have always restricted their export potential.

There are about 200,000 SMEs in Punjab which are both price and quality competitive, but lose the edge in the global market as they don't know the mindset of global buyers.

"The global buyers wanted their sellers to be lucid, specific and precise in their presentation, which the small players were not equipped with. We helped them design product specific catalogues and make better presentations. We are working on click and brick model where we tie-up with the embassies of the potential countries and get the information about the business opportunities for our members," said Nanda.

He said the service provider had created B2B global directories and catalogues in local languages (key words in French and Chinese). The Wide Area Network of Directories and Search engines disseminate the information across globe.

"We have to do a lot of groundwork to mobilise the data of the small clusters in the interiors of the states but it is rewarding."