The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, has been setup as the nodal agency for the scheme. With its rich experience in design training and consultancy, NID will act as matchmaker to the MSMEs and design professionals. It shall also administer effective implementation of the plan.
The objective of Design Clinic scheme is to enhance industry competitiveness and productivity with the help of design intervention at various functional levels. Design Clinic Scheme will help MSMEs to develop product/process/business expertise through design intervention at multiple level interactions. Design awareness seminar, design awareness programme and design projects will help MSMEs in various stages to develop competitiveness. The goal is to help MSME manufacturing industries move up the value chain by switching the production mode from original equipment manufacturing to original design manufacturing and hence original brand manufacturing.
Design Clinic Scheme will help MSMEs to develop product/process expertise through design intervention through multiple level interactions. Design sensitisation seminar, design awareness programme and design projects will help MSMEs in various stages to develop competitiveness.
As part of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP), the office of Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, will implement the Design Clinic Scheme for Design Expertise to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Sector (hereinafter referred to as the Design Clinic Scheme) during the 11th Plan Period.
The overarching approach in implementing the scheme will be to bring Indian MSMEs and design experts on a common platform. This will enable the MSMEs to access expert advice and cost-effective solutions for their real-time design problems, with some financial support from the Government. The expected outcome of such interventions is new product development or discernible design improvement and value addition for existing products.
The total scheme budget will be Rs. 73.58 crores, out of which Rs. 49.08 crores will be assistance from Government of India at various stages and the balance amount will be contributed by the beneficiary MSMEs. The scheme provides great opportunity to the large sector of MSME (Associations and Units) as well as Indian design fraternity – the design consulting firms, independent designers, various design institutes of the country and also the design students to engage them to assist the country’s large MSME sector move up the value chain through increasing the value and competitiveness of their products and services.
The scheme targets to reach out to about 200 MSME clusters over the next two and half years. This will be achieved through organization of about 200 design sensitization seminars, 200 Design Clinic Workshops and 400 design projects including 100 student design projects (final year thesis projects).
For easy percolation of design thinking and philosophy and maximum benefit for MSME units the Design Clinic Scheme is divided at 3 broader levels. These activities are helpful in smooth transition in to several levels of design intervention in industrial and business activities of MSMEs.
1. Design Awareness Seminar
2. Design Awareness programme
a. Need Assessment Survey
b. Design Clinic Workshop
3. Design Projects
