19,000+ entrepreneurs, 5 months, 450 trainings: Delhi govt on MSME focus

To boost micro-enterprises, over 19,000 entrepreneurs were trained by the Delhi government through 450 workshops in less than 5 months, officials said on Saturday. Under the drive, part of the Centre's Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) programme, 600 businesses were also onboarded onto e-commerce platforms to help them expand their markets.

On Saturday, Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa reviewed the progress of the programme at a meeting on the key works of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), which functions under his department.

The workshops, held across 28 locations between June 25 and November 13 this year, recorded a total attendance of 19,931 entrepreneurs, all from micro enterprises, officials said. The Industries Department has set a January 2027 deadline to complete all 824 planned workshops, they added.

On the training drive, Sirsa said the government aimed to ensure that small and home-based businesses had access to markets beyond their immediate neighbourhoods. "A person running a business from one room in Bawana or Sangam Vihar deserves the same access to markets, credit and guidance as a large company," he said.

Of the 19,931 participants, 3,906 were from women-led enterprises, accounting for nearly one in five attendees. Another 2,191 participants were from Scheduled Caste-owned enterprises, 273 from Scheduled Tribe-owned enterprises and 334 from enterprises owned by persons with disabilities.

The workshops have been organised in industrial and residential areas, including Bawana, Narela, Okhla, Mundka, Nangloi, Jahangirpuri and Sangam Vihar. The sessions cover financial discipline, supply chain management, cyber security, environmental, social and governance (ESG) awareness, women entrepreneurship and selling through digital platforms.

Of the 600 enterprises onboarded so far, 244 have joined the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and 17 the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), officials said. Among private platforms, 44 businesses have joined Flipkart and 10 Amazon, while another 285 have been onboarded on Meesho, JioMart, Instamart and Blinkit.

The programme also aims to address challenges raised by entrepreneurs during the workshops, including limited awareness of loan products and formal credit, dependence on local markets, and difficulties in navigating licences, certifications and regulatory compliance.

Praveen Gola, who sells farm-fresh honey under the brand Honeywali, said the guidance helped her onboard additional digital platforms and secure a bulk order. Meanwhile, Tarasha Kaur, who makes millet-based cookies and sattu ladoos, said sessions on financial discipline and bookkeeping helped her manage larger orders.

She has also showcased her products at the Delhi Secretariat. Kamini Pathak, who runs a home-based business selling pickles, papad and namkeen under Navkam Enterprise, said the training encouraged her to take her business online.

Delhi has 12.64 lakh enterprises registered on the Udyam portal. The government said small enterprises would remain a key priority as it seeks to improve the business environment and attract investment and industrial growth.