What are the Main Functions of the District Industries Centre (2024)

The District Industries Centre plays a crucial role in promoting and supporting industrial development at the district level. The Main Functions of the District Industries Centre encompass a wide range of activities aimed at fostering entrepreneurship, facilitating the establishment of industries, and providing assistance to existing enterprises.

The Centre acts as a one-stop destination for aspiring entrepreneurs, offering guidance and support in the form of training programs, skill development initiatives, and counseling services. it plays a pivotal role in the implementation of various government schemes and policies related to industrial development, ensuring their effective execution and monitoring.

The Centre facilitates the provision of financial assistance and incentives to eligible enterprises, helping them overcome financial barriers and encouraging their growth. it acts as a facilitator for the establishment of industrial estates and infrastructure, providing land, utilities, and other necessary amenities.

The Centre acts as a bridge between industries and various government departments, facilitating the resolution of issues and grievances faced by enterprises. The District Industries Centre catalyzes industrial growth and development, playing a vital role in the economic progress of the district.

Entrepreneurs play an important role in the economy of India. Most of the entrepreneurs who start MSMEs do not have strong financial backgrounds. Therefore, several institutions have been set up by the Central Government and State Governments to support entrepreneurs and to promote MSMEs.

We discuss here important institutions supporting entrepreneurs and MSMEs.

Directorate of Industries and Commerce (Department of Industries and Commerce)

The Industries & Commerce Directorate is a group that carries out the plans and decisions made by the Industries Department of the Government of Kerala for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

The Directorate along with its subordinate field offices, namely, District Industries Centres and Taluk Industries Offices are responsible for promoting/sponsoring, registering, financing, and advising MSME industries in the State.

The Department’s job is to help businesses grow and support small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) by providing them with all the help they need to start and keep going.

The Directorate of Industries and Commerce helps to organize and manage the growth of industries in different areas – like small, medium, and big ones – all across the State.

It helps the entrepreneurs acquire the required infrastructure and provides financial incentives and concessions for industrial investments.

Main Functions of the Directorate of Industries and Commerce (DIC)

The major functions or services of the Directorate of Industries and Commerce (DI&C) are stated below:

• Coordinates all industrial activities of the State.
• Implements schemes as envisaged in the Industrial Policy of the State Government. 
• They carefully develop small industries in a planned manner.
• It helps connect small businesses with the government.
• Monitors the implementations of plan schemes executed by the General Managers of the District Industries Centres.
• Keeps a database of small-scale industrial units in Kerala.
• Organises technology clinics, and entrepreneurship development programs.
• Participates in fairs, exhibitions, etc., for exhibiting the products of small-scale units.
• Issues essentiality certificates for controlled items of raw materials.
• Identify entrepreneurs and motivate them.
• It can give you ideas for projects, provide profiles of different projects, offer advice on whether a project is feasible, give tips on managing a business, and provide guidance on business management.
• Give appropriate technology sourcing/know-how/evaluation/tie-ups with national and international partners. Check out Vision, Mission & Activities
• Give data on the accessibility of infrastructure/market/machinery subtle elements& fabric source merchants.
• Act as a liaison with financial institutions/other departments/agencies.
• Prepares and forwards Technical Feasibility Reports to Financial Institutions for Loan. 16. Assists the unit in getting necessary licenses/clearances/NOC from statutory bodies through the Green Channel Counter/Single Window Clearance Board.
• Extends financial assistance to the unit under the different schemes undertaken by the Government to promote Industrialisation.
• Identifies and revives sick units under the Sick Unit Revival Programme.
• Acquires and develops land for the benefit of entrepreneurs by establishing Industrial Development Plots/Areas/MIES.

District Industries Centre

The District Industries Centres program was launched on 1st May 1978. The main thrust of the program is an effective promotion of cottage and small industries widely dispersed in rural areas and small towns.

Under the single roof of the DIC, all the services and support required by small and village entrepreneurs are provided. Thus, DICs were established to cater to the needs of MSMEs.

They are envisaged as a single window interacting agency with the entrepreneur at the district level. They are the ones who put into action the plans and programs of the Central and State Governments.

Every district has a DIC located at its main office. The main responsibility of DIC is to act as the chief co-ordinator or multifunctional agency in respect of various Government departments, and other agencies.

The prospective small entrepreneur would get all assistance from DIC for setting up and running the industry in rural areas. Up to 1991 about 422 DICS (covering 431 districts) have been set up throughout the country.

These DICS have assisted more than 1.5 lakh units generating employment for more than 10.3 lakh persons. The four metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, and New Delhi are outside the purview of the DIC. 

Main Functions of the District Industries Centre (DIC)

The main functions of DIC are as follows:

1. DIC identifies and develops new entrepreneurs to set up industries by conducting entrepreneurial motivation programs throughout the district.
2. It gives helpful tips to new business owners on how to choose the right projects for them.
3. Once the projects are chosen, it provides temporary SSI registration, which is necessary for getting help from banks.
4. It supports loan applications to SIDCO and Nationalised Banks so that entrepreneurs can buy land and buildings.
5. Under the Rural Industries Project Loan Scheme, the DIC is sanctioning margin money payable to other financial agencies for the purchase of plant and machinery.
6. It takes the initiative to get clearances from other departments and takes follow-up measures to get speedy power connections.
7. It makes necessary recommendations to the concerned raw material suppliers and issues the required certificates for the import of raw materials and machinery wherever necessary. 
8. It arranges for financial assistance to Village Artisans and Handicrafts with the lead bank of the respective area.
9. It assists SSI units and rural artisans to get subsidies such as power subsidies, interest subsidies for engineers, subsidies under IRDP, etc.
10. It gives training to rural entrepreneurs and also assists other units in giving training to small entrepreneurs.
11. The scheme of self-employment for unemployed educated youth was introduced in 1983-84 through DICS.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the District Industries Centre plays a crucial role in promoting and supporting industrial development at the district level. Its main functions encompass providing financial assistance, technical guidance, and infrastructure support to entrepreneurs and small-scale industries.

By facilitating the establishment and growth of industries, the District Industries Centre contributes to job creation, economic growth, and overall development of the district.

Additionally, it acts as a bridge between the government and the industrial sector, ensuring the effective implementation of policies and schemes.

Through its various initiatives, the District Industries Centre aims to foster entrepreneurship, enhance competitiveness, and promote sustainable industrial growth in the district.