MUMBAI: With focus on self-employment as a key aspect to job creation, the NDA government has chalked out a plan to set up incubation centres at all districts across the country to train budding entrepreneurs, Union MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra said.

He said government has also notified the 'Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries' with modified norms for continuation till 2017.

"Our government wants to implement policies that touch the lives of common man and benefit the poor. Providing employment is one of the sure ways of freeing people from clutches of poverty and our focus is on the self-employment route," he said at an event organized here by the India SME Forum.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan was also present.

Emphasizing the need for skill development, Mishra said his ministry was planning to set up 15 new technology centres to facilitate improved access to manufacturing technologies and to ensure availability of skilled manpower to micro, small and medium scale industries.

"While 18 existing technology centres will be upgraded to meet the new challenge, systems are also being put in place to impart industry-related skill training for unskilled manpower to better their employment prospects," the minister said.

Mishra said government has notified SFURTI with modified norms for continuation up to 2017. "Under SFURTI, it is proposed to develop 800 clusters across the country with funding from government and the Asian Development Bank," he said.

"Under revamped 'SFURTI', there shall be three types of clusters involving artisans from 500-2500. Heritage clusters will have 1000-2500 artisans. While major clusters will have 500-1000 artisans, mini-clusters will have up to 500 artisans," he said.

The NDA government at the Centre is considering setting up a separate ministry for skill development, he said.

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