District Industry Center (DIC) under the Directorate of Industries and Commerce offers a subsidy loan scheme for young professionals under the guidance of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Established in 1978, District Industries Centers’ program was initiated by the Central Government to promote tiny, cottage, village, and Small Scale Industries (SSIs) in smaller towns and their particular areas to make them available with all the basic needs, services, and facilities.
DIC’s primary focus is to generate employment in rural regions of India. District Industries Centers are managed and operated at the district level to provide all the necessary support services to entrepreneurs or first-time business owners to start their own MSMEs. DICs also promote the Registration and Development of Industrial Cooperatives.
Eligible Entities
- People belonging to scheduled castes, safai karamcharis families, and other backward classes (OBCs)
- Additional entities include physically disabled young professionals, such as engineers, doctors, pathologists, chartered accountants, advocates, physiotherapists, architects, pragmatists, etc.
Objectives of DIC
- To spot the new and potential entrepreneurs and render assistance for them to kick start their ventures.
- To extend financial and organisational support to strengthen the rural and cottage industries.
- To improve the efforts of industrialisation in all rural areas.
- Generate more employment opportunities for the people.
- To centralise all the procedures required to start ventures by the entrepreneurs anew and reduce their time and efforts obligatory to acquire permissions, licenses, registrations, incentives etc.
- To ensure that all the benefits and schemes offered by the Central Government reach the entrepreneurs appropriately.
- To reduce the industrial and economic imbalance in the country and obtain its equality in every district.
- To strengthen the rural industrialisation and enhance the development of handicrafts.
- To promote export and marketing activities in the Districts through Export Guidance Cell available in the DICs.
- Provide financial assistance to the Industrial Co-operative Societies through the TAICO and other financial institutions.
- To endorse awards to MSMEs and artisans offered by the State and Central Government.
Administration & Monitoring of DIC
There are currently 31 DICs functioning in Tamil Nadu which is headed by the General Manager in the corresponding Districts. The Regional Joint Director supervises the functioning of the DICs in the Chennai District. The Project Manager, Manager (Credit), Manager (Economic Investigation), Manager (Village Administration) and an office Superintendent supports the General Manager in the functioning of the DICs.
The Principal Secretary/Industries Commissioner & Director of Industries & Commerce is the responsible body to monitor the functioning and performance of the DICs. The committee assesses the periodical report submitted by the General Manager to appraise the performance and assist DICs in case of any difficulties in the implementation of schemes.
Operations of the DIC
- Implementation of Quality Control
- Generating awareness among the consumers in Tamil Nadu regarding the usage of quality electrical products through the enforcement of Quality Control Order Centre for Domestic Electrical Appliances.
- The authorities ensure that the MSMEs manufacture, store, distribute and sell particular items without the recognition of Bureau of Indian Standard marking.
Enforcement of Steel and Steel Products Orders
- Implementation of Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2012 to make sure that the quality products reach the consumers in the State.
- The order prohibits the manufacturers from the production, storage and distribution of Steel and Steel products that are not mentioned in the norms of the Bureau of Indian Standards.
Restoration of non-operative MSMEs
- The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, formed ‘Framework for Revival and Rehabilitation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ and gazetted the notification on May 29, 2015.
- The Notification is to accelerate the funding process for the MSMEs and assist them in promoting and developing their business.
- The duo RBI and the Ministry of MSME brought in the modifications to make it compatible with the already functioning regulatory guidelines on ‘Income Recognition, Asset Classification and provisioning pertaining to Advances’ released to Banks by RBI.
- The Empowered Committee for MSMEs has been constituted to restore the non-functional MSMEs as per the framework of RBI.
- The State Level Rehabilitation Committee (SLRC) has been established under the Chairmanship of the Secretary of Government, MSME, to analyse the cause of sickness of MSMEs and provide advisory measures for their restoration.
- A quarterly review meeting is conducted to oversee the enforcement of the Rehabilitation of non-functional MSMEs in the State.
Establishment of Micro Small Enterprises Facilitation Council
- As per the advise from the Ministry of MSME and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, the state governments can establish facilitation councils.
- Government of Tamil Nadu have established four Regional Micro Small Facilitation Council in the state.
- The Council which are located at Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai and Coimbatore aims at encouraging fast settlement of unpaid balances of the goods distributed to major industrial units.
FAQs
What is a District Industries Centre (DIC)?
A District Industries Centre (DIC) is an institution set up by the government in each district to promote and facilitate the growth and development of small-scale and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and cottage industries.
What are the main functions of DICs?
- Providing financial assistance and guidance to entrepreneurs.
- Facilitating the registration of small-scale industries.
- Offering information on various government schemes and incentives.
- Organizing training programs and workshops for skill