FOSMI – A GLIMPSE

About 5 decades back, a group of people dedicated to the industrialization of West Bengal felt the need for an organisation exclusively devoted to the development of small industries. They recognized that this would not only attack the problem of unemployment but also lead to rapid industrialization. In 1952, this devoted band founded what is today the Federation of Small & Medium Industries, West Bengal, popularly known as FOSMI. FOSMI is a non-profit making voluntary organisation registered under the Companies Act, 1956.

Today, FOSMI is the largest organisation in this part of the Country representing the needs of small and tiny enterprises, with a membership comprising over a thousand entrepreneurs. It also has as affiliated members twenty dynamic SSI Associations, which represent groups of enterprises in different segments.  

  FOSMI’s objective is to facilitate industrial development especially in the small and tiny sectors in two ways:

1. By trying to alleviate the problems of existing units.

2. By propagating the cause of small units so that more entrepreneurs are encouraged in setting up new units in this sector. 

 Towards this, FOSMI represents the interests of its members through collective efforts. It has regular dialogues and exchange of views with various Government and Semi-Government organisations, Financial Institutions, Banks, Promotional Agencies and other connected to the SSI Sector.

 Over the years, FOSMI has established itself as an important communication channel between the SSI Sector and the Government. It’s views on policy matters are regularly sought by various Government Bodies. Its suggestions are also sought at the State and Central levels at pre-budget discussion.

 Representation on Committees and Boards

FOSMI has representations on the following Committees and Boards, where it’s representatives voice the problems and promote the cause of the SSI sector:

q       SSI Board, Ministry of Small Scale Industry, Govt. of India

q       Regional Advisory Committee, SISI, Kolkata

q       Regional Advisory Committee, RTC, Kolkata

q      Regional Advisory Committee, Central Excise

q     Eastern Regional Advisory Committee of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

q     State Level Inter Institutional Committee of Reserve Bank of India (SLIIC)

q     Empowered Committee on SMEs of RBI

q    Consent Committees of WBPCB

q       State Level Co-ordination Committee

q       Sales Tax Advisory Committee

q       West Bengal Industry Facilitation Council

q       Board of Directors, WBSIDC

q       State Level Export Promotion Committee (SLEPC)

q       West Bengal State Electricity Consultative Council

q       West Bengal Industry Fecilitation Council

q       Committee on Project Management Planning of West Bengal Pollution Control Board.

q       Monitoring Committee for rehabilitation of Sick SSI Units & Infrastructure Development.

q       Consumer Protection Council.

q       State Level Committees of NSIC

q       Industrial Training Institute Steering Committee & Management Committee 

q       Consultative Committee on Value Added Tax  

FOSMI provides various services to its members, some of which are highlighted below:

 Individual Problems

Specific problems of FOSMI members are dealt with all sincerity and representations made to the concerned authorities for redress with regular follow-up. As a matter of policy FOSMI works in close interaction with the concerned departments of Central and State Governments, Financial Institutions. Banks and Promotional Agencies.

 Counselling

Highly experienced professionals are available at FOSMI’s office regularly to provide free guidance to members in matters concerning :

 Awareness Programmes / EDP/ Buyer – Seller Meet

q         FOSMI has already organised two awareness programmes on ISO-9000, one in Kolkata and another at Sonarpur. FOSMI’s ISO-9000 club now has 100 members.

q         Various awareness-cum-training programmes have been organised on Marketing Management, Export Management, Inventory Control etc. Also organised EDPs & Techno-Mngt. Training Programmes

q         FOSMI has organised an awareness programme on ISO-14000

q         FOSMI has organized Buyer – Seller Meets jointly with SISI & BNCCI.

 Trade Delegations

q         FOSMI sponsored a 14-member trade delegation to Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong

q         A Delegation of 21 members visited Dhaka and Chittagong for a week to explore the possibilities of striking business tie-ups. The delegation was very well received by various Government Bodies and Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Subsequently, FOSMI entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries for dissemination of information and facilitating business tie-ups including joint ventures.

q         In February – March, 2000, FOSMI sponsored a 2^nd trade delegation to Bangladesh. 17 members visited Dhaka, Chittagong & Narayangunj and held meetings with the Hon’ble Minister for Industries. High-level Government Officials and all-important Trade & Industry Chambers and Associations. FOSMI’s delegations have generated a lot of interest in their line of activity. Some of the delegates were successful in negotiating deals with their Bangladeshi counterparts in the areas of joint venture, technology transfer, turnkey contracts and in some areas MOU had also been singed. Bangladesh Small & Cottage industries Corpn., Bangladesh Railways, Chittagong Port Authorities etc. showed their interest in dealing with members of the delegation. Immense follow-up by the Federation and concerned individuals resulted in achieving the objectives.

 MOTIVATIONAL PROGRAMMES 

Awards of Excellence

The avowed objective of the State Government and FOSMI is to accelerate industrial growth in West Bengal. In keeping with this, FOSMI decided to give recognition to excellence amongst small industrial entrepreneurs in certain vital fields so that others might be motivated to follow suit in the years to come. Accordingly, FOSMI instituted its Awards of Excellence in 1996, with the support of SIDBI and the Director of C & SSI, Govt. of West Bengal, SISI, NSIC, WBSIDC, WBFC, RTC, SBI, UBI and other Commercial Banks. Every year since then, these annual awards have been given to worthy entrepreneurs in different categories at a befitting function. The Awards Giving Ceremony is always followed by a seminar on a topical subject.

Entrepreneurship Development and Training – “FOSMI Institute for Entrepreneurship Development”

With a view to develop and encourage self-entrepreneurship and self employment among the unemployed youths FOSMI has set up “FOSMI Institute for Entrepreneurship Development” (FIED) in April, 2002. The Institute is registered under the W. B. Societies Registration Act. Immediately after its inception, FIED has organized training courses for awareness and imparting technical, theoretical and practical knowledge among the students on various subjects related to trade, commerce and industry. Duration of the courses lasted from one to three months in which educated boys and girls participated. In these programmes various distinguished research organisations like IIPC of Jadavpur University, ERDC, ICAR, CSIR, etc. collaborated.

Earlier FOSMI conducted such entrepreneurship development and awareness programmes at Sonarpur and Champahati at South 24 Parganas where more than 50 students took part on each occasion.

 Employment opportunities being limited, there is a need for more of the younger generation, particularly the well educated, becoming self-employed. This will have a cascading effect as such self-employed will employ more people in the enterprises they set up.

In continuation of its efforts to promote entrepreneurship, FOSMI conducted an Entrepreneurship Development and Training Course for the engineering students of Jadavpur University under the slogan ‘Catch them Young’. Eighty-two post-graduate and final year students participated in this one-month programme. Faculty members well versed in their respective topics thoroughly briefed participants on the various aspects related to the setting up of and running an enterprise.

 The programme was organised in collaboration with Jadavpur University and with the support from SIDBI, SBI and concerned Central and State Government Departments and Organisations. This was possibly the first time a programme of this type had been conducted.

 FOSMI Ladies Wing:

FOSMI’s Ladies Wing “SAYAMSIDDHA” is taking care of the prospective Women Entrepreneurs and help them settle in life through proper guidance, counselling and by way of organizing awareness / training programmes for self-help employment.

 Meeting, Workshops, Conference etc.

FOSMI organizes various in-house programmes from time to time. It also attends programmes being organised by other organisations and Government bodies.

 Organizational Structure of FOSMI

1. FOSMI is managed and run by an elected Council of 25 members

2. The Council elects the following Office-Bearers
   *President             *Two Vice-Presidents                    *Hony Treasurer

3. A full time Secretary manages the day-to-day affairs of the Federation with the help of Secretariat Staff under the guidance of the President and other Office-Bearers

4. Various sub-committees look after specific areas of FOSMI’s activities

5. The Council is responsible for taking major policy decisions and their implementation.

 FOSMI SSI NEWS BULLETIN

FOSMI is publishing a News Bulletin encompassing important news, trade circulars, Government Notifications, National & International events, exim policy, important data, articles, write-ups, global trade enquiries, Government policies relating to trade & industry, various changes in the support policies of the Government, Financial Institutions, Banks, Promotional Agencies, etc. The Bulletin is widely circulated freely and highly appreciated by all concerned.

FOSMI Branches:

FOSMI is gradually expanding its activities through opening of Chapters / Branches at different places having potentiality for industrialization. It has already started functioning from the premises of Haldia Development Authority Building, Super Market, 3^rd Floor, Durgachak, Haldia and the other at Siliguri C/o The Marksman, T. C. Building, 201, Hill Cart Road, Siliguri – 734 401. FOSMI is attaching due importance towards SSI growth in Howrah, and other Districts in West Bengal.