Bhopal, Mar 15: A five-day `National Rural Industries Programme (RIP)', organised under the joint aegis of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) Bhopal concluded here on Saturday. This national capacity building programme was organised for rural industries programme co-ordinators.

At the valedictory function of the programme chief guest Dr Sunil Shukla, chief faculty and PGP chair person, EDI, Ahmedabad told audience that development of India is based on rural industries and we should focus on the development of rural industries base in the country.

According to Shukla, strategy has been of special significance in developing capacity of collaborating NGOs in conducting RIPs and in turn systematically promoting micro entrepreneurs in rural segment of the country. RIP has emerged as a comprehensive programme generating employment for rural poor in industrially backward areas by grounding of enterprises on techno-economic considerations rather than grants or subsidy related considerations, he added.

The guest faculty from Ahmedabad, Prof Mayank Upadhyay lauded the efforts of SIDBI being apex development bank for promoting, supporting and nurturing small scale industries in the country and reposing faith in EDI-led RIP movement across the country with a belief that potential galore of rural entrepreneurs can effectively mitigate the ubiquitous phenomenon of poverty and unemployment in rural India.

Raman Gujral, Regional Co-ordinator, EDI, Central Regional said ``this was the first programme in Madhya Pradesh and we hope rural industries programme will take off with positive note and desired results in the State''. RIP provides a cohesive and integrated package of basic inputs like information, motivation, training and credit, backed by appropriate technology and market linkages for the purpose of enterprise promotion, he added.

Gujral said that EDI is promoted with a mandate of spearheading the concept of rural entrepreneurship development movement throughout the country. EDI replicated such model into various rural and backward part of the country during last 25 years, he added.