Quality Council of India (QCI) powered the sessions in a 2- day State Level Conference of the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FKCCI) at Hubballi on 16th & 17th July 2022. The conference was inaugurated by Shri Basavaraj S. Bommai, Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Dr. Murugesh R. Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, Govt. of Karnataka.
Basavaraj S. Bommai Chief Minister of Karnataka said “The Industry and Commerce have become an important economic engine which drive not only industry & commerce but also the nation. Therefore, the role of an entrepreneur, industrialist and trader is more important than ever before”. Hon’ble Chief Minister also highlighted the significant investment in technology in the state of Karnataka which will help in achieving the vision of making Karnataka a 1.5 trillion-dollar economy.
Dr. Murugesh R. Nirani, Hon’ble Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries, Govt. of Karnataka also addressed the audience and shared insights on how the industrial sector can further be developed in the state. Hon’ble Minister also spoke about Quality, maintenance and improvement of Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs), exports from agriculture and food processing organizations, lending programmes of SIDBI and support for trade receivables for MSMEs. Hon’ble Minister also answered the questions from audience.
Dr A. Raj, Senior Director, ZED division of QCI, spoke about the benefits and various incentives of the Zero Defect and Zero Effect (ZED) Certification scheme of the Ministry of MSME in the QCI powered session. He explained that the ZED certification is an extensive drive to create awareness amongst MSMEs about Zero Defect and Zero Effect practices and it also provides an opportunity for the MSMEs to continuously improve their processes thereby aiming to move up the ZED maturity assessment model.
The second day of the conference also witnessed other dynamic speakers who deliberated on the need for constant improvements and interventions for the MSMEs.
Dr. Indrajit Bhattacharya, Director, National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET) of QCI shared the Lean manufacturing concept which is about driving resource efficiency for continual improvement of quality and reduction of cost, both in the manufacturing and service sector. Dr. Bhattacharya also explained about the Lean Competitive Manufacturing Scheme (LCMS) of the Ministry of MSME and its benefits. He urged the MSMEs to join the new Lean Manufacturing Scheme which is expected to be launched by the ministry soon.
Ajay Kumar Sharma, Joint Director, National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) of QCI encouraged the MSMEs to seek inspection and certifications from NABCB accredited bodies which will help them gain better visibility, avoid spurious certifications and get enhanced credibility. The conference was witnessed by 600+ delegates and well received.
