Aligarh: Akash Soni, Manager Incharge, Industries Development Bank of India, delivered a lecture on the ‘Role of microfinance and SIDBI in Entrepreneurial Development’ at a SURE Programme, organized by the Department of Commerce at Aligarh Muslim University, in collaboration with the SIDBI and the Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, USA.

Soni highlighted the SIDBI’s role in offering supportive guidance to small and medium enterprises and discussed the MSME Cluster Development Initiatives, emphasizing how entities can benefit from such initiatives.

He said that the Udyami Mitra Yojna portal provides assistance to individuals regarding loans and various schemes and stresses projects promoting green financing and renewable energy. He discussed the three-tiered loan schemes — Shishu, Kishore, and Tarun, emphasizing the inclusivity of the application process without sector-specific reservations.

The participants were engaged in a comprehensive discussion where Soni addressed their queries related to interest rates and government-backed schemes facilitated by SIDBI.

In his presidential remarks, AMU Finance Officer Prof. Mohd. Mohsin Khan stated that the importance of micro-finance for entrepreneurial development can’t be ignored and SIDBI plays a vital role in nurturing budding entrepreneurs and building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country.

Prof. Nasir Zamir Qureshi, Dean, the Faculty of Commerce, also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, the Convener and the Director of the SURE programme, Prof. Asiya Chaudhary welcomed the guests and later extended a vote of thanks.

Taha Khan, a research scholar, conducted the programme.