OREANDA-NEWS.Minister of MSME Shri Kalraj Mishra will be visiting Rwanda on 16 & 17 January, 2015 to inaugurate the Rapid Incubation Centre in the fields of food processing, light engineering and vocational trades established by NSIC under India Africa Forum Summit (IAFS-II). The Minister will also witness the progress of vocational training in the country set with the help of Indian Government. He has been invited by the Minister of Education , Prof. S.L. Wakabamba, Government of Rawanda.

Rwanda's economy is based mostly on subsistence agriculture and its manufacturing sector is dominated by the production of import substitutes for internal consumption. The Government of Rwanda is in the process of establishing small enterprises in the country and looks towards India for cooperation in the development of MSMEs in that country. The visit will provide an insight into the structure of Micro, Small & Medium enterprises in Rwanda and will help strengthen areas of cooperation at policy level in this sector.

On his return journey the Minister Shri Kalraj Mishra will also visit South Africa. India and South Africa, besides historical linkages, share industrial and trade relations extensively. The Minister of Small Businesses of Government of South Africa during her recent visit to India in November, 2014, had invited the Minister of MSME, to South Africa to further discuss expansion of bilateral cooperation in the field of MSMEs between the two countries.

As the process of industrialization expands further in South Africa, it finds greater synergy with Indian MSMEs particularly in entrepreneurship development and technological incubation in South Africa. In this reference, NSIC, an enterprise with the Ministry of MSME, is signing an MoU of Cooperation with Black Business Council(BBC) of South Africa for developing youth owned enterprises in South Africa. The MoU is scheduled to be signed in the presence of Minister of MSME, during his visit to South Africa. The MoU, besides cooperation in MSME sector, also focuses on BBC’s efforts to economically empower the marginilised group in South Africa through NSIC’s Rapid Incubation Programm. NSIC has been requested by BBC to establish five such Rapid Incubation Centres in South Africa.

The presence of the Minister of MSME, during the signing ceremony between two organizations will further strengthen the commitment of cooperation with South Africa in developing MSMEs in the country and thus, be a partner in economic transformation of South Africa.

The visit of Shri Kalraj Mishra will also provide an opportunity to further renew NSIC’s cooperation with Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) under the Ministry of Small Business, Government of South Africa. NSIC’s Cooperation with SEDA has been instrumental not only in enhancing cooperation in the field of MSMEs in South Africa but also plays an important role in tri-nations cooperation under India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Forum.