AIMA to train small firms from early 2008

Joins several others engaged in providing help and advice to SMEs in the country.

In an initiative to train small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cope better with challenges faced by them, the All India Management Association (AIMA) is in the process of preparing modules for training SMEs across the country. The training is most likely to begin by early next year.

Countrywide, various organisations are running programmes with similar objective. These include industry associations like the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), private banks like ICICI Bank Ltd and HSBC and top management institutes like the Indian Institute of Management.

"There is a need to focus on the management development of SMEs, which account for around 60 per cent of the country's exports. Moreover, the government has allocated around Rs 1,050 crore in the 11th five year plan for development of SMEs," said AIMA president, Kewal Handa.

AIMA had been doing workshops for SMEs in the past, but it now plans to institutionalise this initiative through these modules. The workshops will eventually be a week-long event. "Our modules will address issues like how SMEs can manage money, business, manpower better in their organisations. Equal emphasis will also be given on creativity, innovation and how to manage exports," Handa added.

AIMA will reach out to SMEs through various Local Management associations that are its members. It currently has 58 such members. "We would be training around 500 SMEs each year," said Handa.

While CII, in association with ICICI Bank Ltd and IIM- Kolkatta, is in the process of developing the 'Visionary SMEs Programme' specifically targeted at skill development in SMEs, HSBC is conducting a weekly event in collaboration with local industry associations, across seven key locations in regions where they are present.

"Our aim is to inform MSMEs about issues like foreign exchange risk management, credit facilities and others," Bhuvnesh Khanna, head, SME Banking division, HSBC said.

ICICI bank, in an effort to help SMEs recently launched an on-line resource centre by the name of "India SME toolkit".