Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National SC/ST Hub to provide support to entrepreneurs from the community.

With an initial outlay of Rs 490 crore, the hub will work towards strengthening market access/linkage, monitoring, capacity building, leveraging financial support schemes and sharing industry-best practices.

The Public Procurement Policy 2012 stipulates that 4 per cent of procurement done by ministries, departments and CPSEs will have to be from enterprises owned by SC/ST entrepreneurs.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech had announced the setting up of the National SC/ST Hub under the MSME Ministry.

Nandini