Lok Sabha Question No. 3369 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-10
Subject: MoU with Foreign Countries
Ministry: MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
Asked by: VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, MAHEISH GIRRI, SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI, RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE, KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO, NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3369**

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 10.08.2015

MOU WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES

3369.	SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT:

SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE:

SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI MAHEISH GIRRI:

SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

SHRIMATI RAKSHATAI KHADSE:

SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO:

SHRI NAGENDRA KUMAR PRADHAN:

Will the Minister of MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES be pleased to state:

(a) 	whether the Government has signed any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with foreign countries including Sweden and Netherland;

(b)	if so, the details and the salient features thereof along with the extent to which such cooperation is likely to help Indian MSME sector, country-wise;

(c) 	whether the Government proposes to establish MSME cell in the Indian Missions in major countries for promotion of the Indian MSME and if so, the details thereof, country-wise;

(d) 	whether the Government proposes to organize annual MSME fairs/exhibitions for promotion of MSME in major foreign countries; and

(e) 	if so, the details thereof, country-wise?

**ANSWER**

MINISTER OF MICRO, SMALL  MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

(SHRI KALRAJ MISHRA)

(a) & (b): 	The Government enters into long-term Agreements/Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with various countries for promoting cooperation in the field of MSMEs in the broad areas of capacity building, industrial surveys and feasibility studies, enterprise to enterprise collaboration, participation in exhibitions and trade fairs, exchanging business missions, technology transfer etc.

The Ministry of MSME has entered into long term agreements, Memorandum of Understanding/Joint Action Plan with 18 countries viz., Tunisia, Romania, Rwanda, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Lesotho, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Republic of South Korea, Mozambique, Botswana, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mauritius and Sweden.  Ministry of MSME has not signed any MoU with Netherland.  Details of the signed MoUs are as follows:

|   Sl. No. |   Year of signing | Name of the Country                        | Name of Agreement           | Counterpart Ministry/ Organisation                                             | Date of signing and place   |
|-----------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
|         1 |              2000 | Republic of Sudan                          | Agreement                   | Government of the Republic of Sudan.                                           | 09.04.2000 Khartoum         |
|         2 |              2003 | Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria     | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Small and Medium Size Enterprises and Handicrafts                  | 10.10.2003  New Delhi       |
|         3 |              2004 | Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Industry                                                           | 27.01.2004  New Delhi       |
|         4 |              2004 | Kingdom of Lesotho                         | Memorandum of Understanding | Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho.                                          | 10.09.2004,  Maseru         |
|         5 |              2005 | Republic of Uzbekistan                     | Agreement                   | Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan.                                      | 05.04.2005  New Delhi       |
|         6 |              2006 | United Mexican States                      | Memorandum of Understanding | Secretariat of Economy of the United Mexican States.                           | 27.03.2006,  Mexico         |
|         7 |              2006 | Republic of Rwanda                         | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Investment Promotion, Tourism and Cooperatives | 30.08.2006  Kigali          |
|         8 |              2006 | Romania                                    | Memorandum of Understanding | National Agency for Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises and Cooperatives          | 23.10.2006  New Delhi       |
|         9 |              2007 | Cote D’Ivoire                              | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Industry and Promotion of Private Sector                           | 14.02.2007  New Delhi       |
|        10 |              2007 | Republic of Tunisia                        | Cooperation Agreement       | Government of the Republic of Tunisia.                                         | 08.02.2007  Tunis           |
|        11 |              2009 | Arab Republic of Egypt                     | Joint Action Plan           | Ministry of Trade and Industry                                                 | 29.10.2009  Cairo           |
|        12 |              2010 | Republic of Botswana                       | Memorandum of Understanding | Government of the Republic of Botswana.                                        | 17.06.2010 New Delhi        |
|        13 |              2010 | Republic of Korea                          | Memorandum of Understanding | Small and Medium Business Administration                                       | 18.06.2010  Korea           |
|        14 |              2010 | Republic of Mozambique                     | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Industry and Commerce                                              | 30.09.2010 New Delhi        |
|        15 |              2011 | Republic of Indonesia                      | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises                     | 25.01.2011  New Delhi       |
|        16 |              2013 | Socialist Republic of Vietnam              | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Planning and Investment                                            | 15.01.2013 Hanoi            |
|        17 |              2013 | Republic of Mauritius                      | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives                              | 02.12.2013  Port-Louis      |
|        18 |              2015 | Kingdom of Sweden                          | Memorandum of Understanding | Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation                                          | 01.06.2015  Stockholm       |

The above MoUs, Agreements, etc. provide for a structured framework and enabling environment to discuss issues of mutual interest concerning the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and to explore possibilities of cooperation for the development of MSME sector in both the countries. Further, international cooperation in MSME sector, apart from generating goodwill for the country and strengthening of friendly relations with the partner countries, also benefits Indian MSMEs and opens up new opportunities for them by way of new markets, joint ventures, sharing of best practices, technology collaborations, etc.

(c):		At present, the Government in Ministry of MSME has no proposal to establish MSME cell in the Indian Missions abroad.

(d)&(e): 	The Government in Ministry of MSME facilitates participation of Indian MSMEs in foreign exhibitions/fairs under its schemes which aim at exploring new areas of technology infusion/upgradation, facilitating joint ventures, improving market of MSMEs’ products, foreign collaborations, etc.

*******