Directorate of arising out of such entrepreneurs. A Industries and a collaboration, (iii) motivated few District Industries stories” of “success should motivate the Centres. inter-firm rest. collaboration from “Champion Innovators” among India and abroad, contribute to the the SME etc. This portal up-gradation of entrepreneurs may should be widely quality. be identified from publicised. Particularly, different regions engineering student Horizontal and enable them to projects should be collaboration periodically linked to local SME involving communicate their technical problems “innovation towards interactions should achievements” to ascertaining be promoted for the other SME solutions. This benefit of SMEs. entrepreneurs. A exposure might The vast network of motivated few even encourage engineering should motivate the innovative institutions across rest. entrepreneurship to the country should emerge gradually Other things be facilitated to from our being equal, move closer to local engineering vertical linkages in SMEs through institutions. the form of collaborative work collaborations for innovations. To conclude, between SMEs and systematic and This would large firms mutually consistent policy (including MNCs) efforts are The Ministry of should be imperative to MSMEs may encouraged, by exploit the facilitating the constantly innovation potential latter to overcome of the vast and propagate the information growing SME of “virtues asymmetry through sector in India. This innovations” among periodic can enhance SME the vast SME arrangement of competitiveness populace across the buyer-seller and thereby enable meetings at the country through them to contribute state- level. In more intensively to state level addition, an the economic Directorate of Firm Collaboration prosperity of our Industries and nation in the future. Portal” may be set District Industries up with all the Readings: Centres. required “Champion Atkinson, D information on the Innovators” among (2013): manufacturers of Competitiveness, the SME intermediate Innovation and entrepreneurs may Productivity: Clearing products (SMEs), be identified from up the Confusion, provision for free different regions The Information registration for both Technology & and enable them to buyers (large firms) Innovation and sellers (SMEs), periodically Foundation, information on (i) communicate their Washington, DC. requirements for “innovation Bala Subrahmanya, inter-firm M H (2001): achievements” to collaboration, (ii) “Technological other SME possible benefits Innovations in Small
Directorate of Industries and District Industries Centres. “Champion Innovators” among the SME entrepreneurs may be identified from different regions and enable them to periodically communicate their “innovation achievements” to other SME entrepreneurs. A motivated few should motivate the rest. Other things being equal, vertical linkages in the form of collaborations between SMEs and large firms (including MNCs) should be encouraged, by facilitating the latter to overcome information asymmetry through periodic arrangement of buyer-seller meetings at the state- level. In addition, an Collaboration Portal” may be set up with all the required information on the manufacturers of intermediate products (SMEs), provision for free registration for both buyers (large firms) and sellers (SMEs), information on (i) requirements for inter-firm collaboration, (ii) possible benefits arising out of such a collaboration, (iii) “success stories” of inter-firm collaboration from India and abroad, etc. This portal should be widely publicised. Horizontal collaboration involving interactions should be promoted for the benefit of SMEs. The vast network of engineering institutions across the country should be facilitated to move closer to local SMEs through collaborative work for innovations. This would mutually The Ministry of MSMEs may constantly propagate the “virtues of innovations” among the vast SME populace across the country through state level Directorate of Industries and District Industries Centres. “Champion Innovators” among the SME entrepreneurs may be identified from different regions and enable them to periodically communicate their “innovation achievements” to other SME entrepreneurs. A motivated few should motivate the rest. contribute to the up-gradation of quality. Particularly, engineering student projects should be linked to local SME technical problems towards ascertaining solutions. This exposure might even encourage innovative entrepreneurship to emerge gradually from our engineering institutions. To conclude, systematic and consistent policy efforts are imperative to exploit the innovation potential of the vast and growing SME sector in India. This can enhance SME competitiveness and thereby enable them to contribute more intensively to the economic prosperity of our nation in the future. Readings: Atkinson, D (2013): Competitiveness, Innovation and Productivity: Clearing up the Confusion, The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, Washington, DC. Bala Subrahmanya, M H (2001): “Technological Innovations in Small Firm
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