Empretec India

Empretec is a United Nations programme established by UNCTAD's Division of Investment and Enterprise to promote the creation of sustainable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Empretec works with entrepreneurs to build innovative and internationally competitive SMEs. The programme is implemented through Empretec’s National Centres, which are currently in operation in 34 countries. Since its formation in 1988, Empretec has successfully trained over 270,000 entrepreneurs, helping to found or expand businesses, creating thousands of jobs in the process using UNCTAD’s best principles and methodologies.

IBF has an agreement with UNCTAD to promote, install and develop Empretec in India. IBF’s recommended model for product development and distribution for Empretec in India has been approved by UNCTAD and recognized in Switzerland by the Geneva Economic Development Office.

The salient features for developing Empretec in India are:

• Consultative committee, an institutional support structure for successful development of the programme in India.

• Consultative committee comprises key government (state and centre) functionaries.

• Implementation partners (such as State Bank of India and several infrastructure development corporations) for whom there will be dedicated Empretec Chapters.

• Chapters are dedicated Empretec and UNCTAD Business Linkage-specific joint ventures between the hosting entity, IBF, and the implementation partners, which will ensure successful roll-out of the programme across partners’ client/employee/franchisee/supplier base at a regional/national level.

What are the key benefits of Empretec?

The key benefits of Empretec are:

a) Overall: global visibility for the nation’s contributions toward economic, moral and policy objectives through creation of a better business environment for the nation’s development

b) Governments: employment generation, improving quality of life of entrepreneurs, social programmes, creating a reliable entrepreneurship social group, strengthening the base of the national economy

c) Lending institutions: increasing quality of credit deployed by empowering clients and so, lending reliability, stability, profitability to lender-client relationships

d) Trans-national companies: better quality of suppliers, lower transaction costs

e) SMEs: export growth, regionalization and internationalization; stable contracts for local suppliers, innovations, improved chances of project success, higher productivity and efficiency

How does one participate in the programme? What are the levels of participation available?

The mission of the programme is to set up an entrepreneurial culture in India in keeping with UNCTAD’s best practices in capacity-building and business linkages. In accordance with UNCTAD’s neutrality principles, anyone is welcome to participate in Empretec by choosing the appropriate level of engagement:

Empretec Chapters: This is suitable for larger institutions/associations with:

a) Large base of existing entrepreneurs (TNCs, SMEs, micro-entrepreneurs and low-literacy entrepreneurs)

b) Clusters of entrepreneur groups by industry, targeted segments such as women, youth, start-ups, etc.

c) Existing entrepreneurship development projects in place, where the Empretec methodology could add value

IBF will set up joint ventures / agreements with participating institutions, with the aim of establishing Empretec Chapters to pursue mutually agreed upon development objectives. The Chapters will be funded by the participating institutions and will deliver Empretec developed products in keeping with UNCTAD’s principles and methodology.

Several private and public development corporations, national-level financial institutions, associations and chambers of commerce have expressed interest in collaborating with IBF to set up Chapters for installing and developing Empretec for their members, affiliates and identified entrepreneur/entrepreneur groups.

Workshops: This is open to any business-owner, key functionary in government, public and the private sectors.