MSME Ministry launches 'SAMARTH' to promote women entrepreneurship

 The MSME Ministry launched SAMARTH -- a special entrepreneurship promotion drive for women.

Context

 The MSME Ministry launched SAMARTH -- a special entrepreneurship promotion drive for women.

What is SAMARATH?

• SAMARATH is the drive which aims to help women to be self-reliant and independent by providing them with self-employment opportunities. 
• Under SAMARTH, 20 per cent seats in free skill development programmes, organised under skill development schemes of the ministry, will be allocated for aspiring and existing women entrepreneurs. 
• This will benefit more than 7,500 women in 2022-23. 
• Moreover, 20 percent of MSME business delegations sent to domestic and international exhibitions under the schemes for marketing assistance implemented by the ministry will be dedicated to women-owned MSMEs. 
• Women entrepreneurs can also avail a 20 percent discount on annual processing fee on commercial schemes of the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) in 2022-23. 

About MSME

• MSME stands for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise that was introduced by the Government of India in agreement with the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006. 
• MSME is initiated and managed under the Ministry of MSME (MoMSME) are entities engaged in the production, manufacturing, processing or preservation of goods and commodities.
• As per the official data as of 31st Aug 2021, there are presently approximately 6.3 crore MSMEs in India.