New Delhi :-PM Narendra Modi launching the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) Yojana, PM Modi, said that supporting the small entrepreneurs of India is the biggest way to help the Indian economy grow and prosper. He was speaking at the launch of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) Yojana in New Delhi. Stressing the contribution of small entrepreneurs in the economy, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that within a year’s time, the major banks would also adopt the MUDRA model. PM said that in our country, one often experiences that things revolve around mere perceptions, while the details often paint a different picture. Giving the example of the perception that large industries create more employment, he said that a look at the details reveals the reality that only 1 crore 25 lakh people find employment in large industries, whereas small enterprises employ 12 crore people in the country. While there are a number of facilities provided for the large industries in India, there is a need to focus on these 5 crore 75 lakh self-employed people who use funds of Rs 11 lakh crore, with an average per unit debt of merely Rs 17,000 to employ 12 crore Indians. He said that these facts, when brought to light, led to the vision for MUDRA Bank.
PM appreciated the efforts made by the banking sector of India in making Jan Dhan Yojana a success. He said that he envisioned that within a year, banks would queue up to give loans to MUDRA applicants. The Prime Minister also congratulated SIDBI on the silver jubilee of its inception, and appreciated the work done by it in supporting India’s small scale industry in these 25 years.
PM said that MUDRA scheme is aimed at “funding the unfunded”. He said that the small entrepreneurs of India are used to exploitation at the hands of money lenders so far, but MUDRA will instil a new confidence in them that the country is ready to support them in their efforts that are contributing so heavily to the task of nation building. PM also spoke about the possibilities of value addition in agriculture. He said that, we must aim at creating a whole network of farmers engaged in value addition at the community level. Brand building, advertising, marketing and financial support, when given to such small entrepreneurs will strengthen the foundation of the Indian economy, he said.
The Prime Minister said that this will not entail any big changes in the existing structures, just a little empathy, a little understanding and a little initiative. He urged the banks to study successful models of microfinance, tailored to the local requirements and cultural contexts, which will be enable us to help the poorest of the poor in a big way.
The Prime Minister said that mere launching of new schemes in not progress. Real success lies in real change on the ground, as was seen in the Jan Dhan Yojana and PAHAL, which had delivered concrete results within limited timeframes, he added. He said that the established financial systems will soon move to the MUDRA-model of functioning, i.e. to support entrepreneurs that give employment to a large number of people using least amount of funds. Union Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley, Minister of State Jayant Sinha, and the Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan, were present on the occasion.
