Who participated in this study
Industry : Conversations were held with 11 key representatives from the Indian Industries Association (IIA), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and PHD Chamber of Commerce. These were held in individual and group format and the representatives shed light on the industry perspective on classification and database management by the government, their own role in the unorganized sector, and their opinion on the upcoming and lucrative clusters in the region. The conversations were held in both Delhi and Lucknow.
Government agencies, departments, and authorities : Officers from the following departments were approached for conversations: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) banks, UPDASP, Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Out of these, conversations with NSDC and NRLM did not end up working out despite appointments made. 9 officers conversed with us in an informal setting and, based on many years of working with these departments, they were able to give us their professional opinion on classification policy as well as implementation. We were particularly interested in the unorganized sector and its interaction with the NIC. We discussed the NIC and its application methodology, databases maintained by the Government of India, scope for improvement to incorporate the dynamic nature of enterprises, and key sectors that seek deeper assessment and study for classification.
Experts and individual actors : Experts and individuals from the following areas were contacted for a conversation: Financial services, industrial finance, para-education, NSDC skill center, leather industry, handloom, and manufacturing SMEs. The 17 individuals who engaged with us were senior members of their respective fields and had a solid amount of on-the-ground experience. The conversations shed light on the outcomes of formal and quasi-formal financial service provisions, behaviour of new entrants through financial inclusion plans, implementation of industrial financing schemes, regulations and problems in the para-education sector, and the understanding of employability and skilling within NSDC and SME areas.
Primary observations : Clusters were visited in Lucknow, Kanpur, and Mau. These primary observations cemented our decision to further study the areas of handloom/handicrafts, financial services, education, skilling and employability. Key stakeholders in these clusters were approached and conversed with for a better understanding of the value chain and scope for classification.