NBM Launches MIS Platform For Domestic Agarbatti Industry

May 12, 2021

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National Bamboo Mission (NBM) has launched an MIS module for strengthening the domestic Agarbatti industry.

About

An MIS (Management Information Systems) based reporting platform for agarbatti stick production has been launched. This platform will help-
- to collate the locations of stick making units,
- for the availability of raw material,
- for the functioning of the units, production capacity, marketing, etc.
- in better synergising the linkages with the industry to enable seamless procurement from production units,
- in plugging the information gaps.
National Bamboo Mission (NBM), Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) schemes as well as States, together with industry partners have stepped up to support this platform.

Benefits of Initiative

It will enhance the support for ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Make for the World’ since Indian agarbatti is much sought after in global markets.
It will help to bring back livelihoods for the local communities.
It will give a boost to efforts for modernising the agarbatti sector.
It will provide focused support to enable India to become Atma Nirbhar in the agarbatti sector.

Khadi Agarbatti Atma Nirbhar Mission

The Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has approved a unique employment generation program proposed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) to make India Atma Nirbhar in Agarbatti production.
It aims at creating employment for unemployed and migrant workers in different parts of the country while increasing domestic Agarbatti production substantially.
The KVIC is implementing the program and is hand holding the artisans and SHGs with proper backward & forward linkages and needful support.

Conclusion

The agarbatti sector traditionally provided large scale employment to the local workforce, which however dwindled due to various factors including the ingress of cheap imports of round sticks and raw batti.
The policy measures are taken by the Government of moving raw batti imports from free to the restricted category in August 2019 and increasing import duty on round stick uniformly to 25% in June 2020 came as a boost to the domestic units.
The decision was taken to offset the “huge employment loss” in the sector due to the “heavy import of bamboo sticks from China and Vietnam.
The import duty hike is helping in setting up new agarbatti stick manufacturing units to meet the ever-growing demand for agarbatti in India.
Further, an MIS module will strengthen the domestic Agarbatti industry.

National Bamboo Mission (NBM)

It is a sub-scheme to harness the potential of bamboo crop under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Implemented by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched in 2018-19 to focus on the development of a complete value chain of the bamboo sector and link growers with markets.

Objectives of NBM

To increase the area under bamboo plantation in non-forest Government and private lands to supplement farm income and contribute towards resilience to climate change as well as the availability of quality raw material for industries.
To improve post-harvest management through the establishment of innovative primary processing units near the source of production, primary treatment and seasoning plants, preservation technologies and market infrastructure.
To promote product development keeping in view market demand, by assisting R&D, entrepreneurship & business models at micro, small and medium levels and feed bigger industries.
To rejuvenate the underdeveloped bamboo industry in India.
To promote skill development, capacity building, awareness generation for the development of the bamboo sector from production to market demand.

Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)

It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.
Under MIDH, the Government of India (GOI) contributes 60% of the total outlay for developmental programmes in all the states except states in North East and the Himalayas, 40% share is contributed by State Governments.
In the case of the North-Eastern States and the Himalayan States, GOI contributes 90%.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

It is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament.
It works under the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
In April 1957, it took over the work of the former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.
The broad objectives that the KVIC has set before it is:
- The social objective of providing employment.
- The economic objective of producing saleable articles.
- The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up a strong rural community spirit.

Source: PIB