The importance and benefits of design can be best
demonstrated through projects. Major emphasis of the design clinic scheme thus
is on projects, with its over 60% fund allocated for design project support to
the MSMEs.
With the target to reach out to around 200
industry clusters, the scheme will support 400 design projects. This includes
support to 300 professional design projects and 100 student design projects.
Individual MSME unit or group of MSMEs can apply for the project support. Upon
the approval of the project, the scheme would reimburse 60% of the design
project expenses. This includes design
fees, model and prototype expenses as well as project related travel and
documentation expenses. Individual MSME unit or a group of upto three units can
get the financial support maximum upto Rs. 9.0 lakh, while a group of four or
more units can get the maximum support of Rs. 15.0 lakh for the professional
design project.
The scheme has received encouraging response from
the industry and by now we have received 109 project proposals. These proposals
are at various stages of their evaluation. From the 47 project proposals already
approved, 6 projects have been completed and around 11 projects are in the
final phase of their completion.
The scheme offers an interesting challenge to the
country's design fraternity. The scheme is launched by the government of India
for the country's large micro, small and medium enterprises, MSMEs as part of
its National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme, NMCP, with a specific
objective to improve manufacturing competitiveness of these MSMEs. The Design Clinic Scheme is one of the 10
schemes launched under the NMC programme and is financially supported by the
ministry of MSMEs, Govt. of India.
The focus of the scheme therefore is on improving
manufacturing competitiveness of MSMEs through the appropriate use of design.
This subtle but critical difference in terms of
design intervention approach to the problems/project is felt missed out by the
designers and is visible in the project proposals submitted to the scheme. The
proposals invariably stop at highlighting the design intervention towards
developing a new product; improve the existing product in terms of its aesthetics,
functionality, addition of new features etc. Over and above these benefits, each
proposal is evaluated from the perspective of its potential/s and scope of
design intervention to improve the manufacturing competitiveness of MSME unit’s
product/ business, to increase export potential and/or its potential to reduce
import substitute etc.
Each of the proposals submitted to the scheme are
evaluated at three levels. At the first level the proposal is reviewed independently
by three external design experts. At the
second stage of assessment, this proposal is assessed by the Project Assessment
Panel, PAP, comprising of designers, members from industry associations and
from government organizations. At the final stage, the recommendations of PAP
are discussed and reviewed by the Project Management and Advisory Committee,
PMAC, of the scheme for its approval (details on www.designclinicsmsme.org ).
The projects completed so far under the scheme
support, have ably demonstrated the strength and capability of design to
improve manufacturing competitiveness of the product/s and the businesses as a
whole. While design interventions have helped improve these products from their
aesthetics, ergonomics, functionality, addition of new feature etc.
perspectives, these interventions have helped reduce material, weight, product volume,
product floor space (foot print area), etc. Design interventions have helped optimize components as well as overall
manufacturing process resulting in reduction in production cost and improved
product quality. Standardization of parts and components, modular approach, ease
of assembly, maintenance,
optimized after sale services, etc. have been some of the added benefits of
these interventions towards improved manufacturing competitiveness. Design Interventions thus have provided
holistic solutions resulting in incredible benefits and major value additions
for their client MSME units to stand out from the competition. With the newly
designed products now compatible for
global trade, these interventions would certainly help develop strong brand value for their MSMEs.
The
project proposal formats and the guidelines have been further refined to help
MSMEs and designers include all the relevant and required information in their
proposal/s. The complete process of
submission of the proposal as well as the information of its status will be
very soon available online on the scheme website. The scheme implementation team is constantly
facilitating external experts and project assessment committee, whenever
required to connect and get the necessary information/ clarifications from the
MSME units and/or designer at the earliest.
Country’s
large micro, small and medium enterprise sector, a crucial industry sector in
the context of country’s economic and social development, demands holistic
solutions to improve their manufacturing competitiveness and thereby survive
and progress in the global markets of today. Design can contribute at a major
scale to offer such holistic solutions and thereby help the country’s MSMEs to
move up the value chain. Few of the projects completed so far have ably
demonstrated this capability. I am sure, country’s design fraternity will rise
to this challenge to be part of this major design movement.