Bengaluru: Small Industries Development Bank of India [SIDBI], in association with Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Karnataka, organised 1st edition of Swavalamban Mela from 24th – 26th March 2023 at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bengaluru.  

VSV Rao, Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI inaugurated the event which was also graced by Sathyabhama C, IAS, Director, MSME, GoK. The theme of the mela was 'Revive, Preserve and Promote Namma Artisans.'

Rao in his address highlighted the objective of organising Mela which aims to empower micro entrepreneurs, artisans, SHGs through market exposure and access, financial and digital literacy, handholding support for onboarding over e-commerce platforms, credit connect for financial requirements during the event or even after that and connect with State level Handloom and Textile Handicraft Departments for easing artisans market access.

The Mela started with the traditional folk dances of Karnataka, viz., Huli Vesha and Dollu kunitha. The valedictory event was chaired by Sunanda Batra, GM, FIDD, RBI, Bengaluru. To promote the traditional saree draping styles of Karnataka, a fashion show was also organised during the event.

Overall, more than 130 artisans participated representing most of the districts of the state and comprising from different segments of the society. In addition to this, SIDBI also facilitated creating awareness about e-commerce and helped them in onboarding the ONDC platform.

It is worth noting that SIDBI as the principal development finance institution for MSME sector has played a significant role in developing the financial services for MSME sector through various interventions including Refinance to banks, credit guarantee programs, development of the MFI sector, contribution to venture capital, MSME ratings, promoting digital lending ecosystem, etc. 

The Bank has proactively been working toward Energy Efficiency (EE) in MSMEs since 2005-06 as part of Direct Finance business using support of multilateral institutions like World Bank, ADB, GiZ, FCDO, JICA, AFD, KfW etc. for energy efficient projects. SIDBI has taken steps to promote Energy Efficiency and Cleaner production in the MSME sector and propose to accelerate its efforts for MSME sector for their survival, growth, and competitiveness in long run during prevailing climate related challenges. /BI/