Exim Bank’s Formal Tie-Up With NGOs
Exim Bank has entered into a formal cooperation arrangement with Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI), which is a non-profit organization with membership of 5000 NGOs/SHGs spread across all provinces of India. Under this arrangement, Exim Bank will help CNRI members with capacity building, training and access to national and global market. Exim Bank, in addition to CNRI, has entered into formal cooperation arrangements with certain specific, broad-based NGOs in order to directly reach out to the artisans. These arrangements include SEWA (Gujarat), Dhan Foundation (Tamil Nadu), Oorvu (Tribal Association in Kerala), BASIX (Andhra Pradesh). Exim Bank has been working with these NGOS at field level and has been helping in capacity building, quality improvement, market access, training, etc.
Exim Bank is also working towards the possibility of exporting traditional Indian know-how and technology to other developing countries. Two such possibilities being explored includes technology to manufacture non-vitrified handmade floor tiles (available with a group of artisans (an NGO) in Southern India) and use of watermills in the Himalayan region to generate small power (by an NGO called HESCO) of 2-3 KW, enough to light up a house or operate a small workshop. The advantage of the above approach is a win-win situation for both the exporter and importer. While the exporting rural NGO will get sizeable technical know fee, the importer will get appropriate, cost-effective, simple to operate and maintain technology.
Exim Bank has tied up with International Finance Corporation (World Bank) under its Grassroot Business Initiative programme. This current event – India Day – has in fact been organized by Exim Bank in association with IFC. Exim Bank has also opened up dialogue with a US based non-profit agency called Aid-to-Artisans (ATA) to leverage its strength and reach to access US market for Indian handicraft and other rural products.
Url : http://www.eximbankindia.com/rural/initiate4.asp