MANISH GUPTA
Ranchi, Oct 26: Leading trade and industry body Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) has formed the Tribal Business Development Committee (TBDC) to promote entrepreneurship among the tribals of the state.
“The Chamber has set up a Tribal Business Development Committee to support tribals in starting their business in the state. We will provide them with all necessary guidance and help,” FJCCI Secretary General Dr Abhishek Ramadhin told lagatar24.com.
Ramadhin assured that all possible support would be given by the Jharkhand Chamber to encourage tribal entrepreneurs in the business world so that more and more tribal youth would join the business-industry sector of the state and the country.
“At present, tribals are less than 10 per cent of the businessmen and industrialists in Jharkhand despite it being a tribal state. The state can develop only when tribals also take up entrepreneurship and we have resolved to make it happen,” Ramadhin said.
Earlier this month, the Jharkhand government organised a tribal fair to promote local products. Both the state and the central governments have several schemes to help tribals set up their business, get funding, market their products and scale up.
“Several efforts are being made by the government with the aim to encourage young tribal entrepreneurs. However, the tribals are unaware and are deprived of the benefits of these government and bank schemes. We will bridge that gap,” said Ramadhin.
The Chamber will play a strong role along with the tribal youth in providing the market for the products as well as in resolving debt-related problems. It will also connect them with officials of various government and private agencies like SIDBI and MSME.
“The tribals are like Lord Hanuman. They do not realise their strength and we will help in making them realise their power. Apart from helping market their village products, the Chamber will help them foray into other businesses like jewellery and auto parts.
“Their problems will be more or less on the same lines as we regularly face – issues related to a single window, red tapism, licences and bank funding. Many of the schemes just remain on paper or are hijacked by big businesses like Adani and Ambani. We will work on all these and other issues faced by the tribals,” said the Secretary General.
The FJCCI, a state-level federation of business people and associations, has about 3,700 direct members and about 60,000 direct and indirect members. After a long gap, the FJCCI team had a meeting with Chief Minister Hemant Soren recently.
