ITANAGAR, 25 Jul: Shillong (Meghayala)-based Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, organised a webinar on 24 July to sensitise youths, students, MSMEs, professionals and enterprises of Arunachal Pradesh to the Corporate Mitra scheme.

The webinar was conducted as part of the Corporate Mitra scheme awareness campaign for the Northeast region (NER), in collaboration with Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), Rono Hills, and with support from the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI), the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI),and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

The scheme aims to empower MSMEs, primarily in the Tier & 2 cities, by supporting them in playing their part in the larger vision of a Viksit Bharat @ 2047. The scheme embodies the vision of a formalised, financially sustainable, and a thriving MSME sector by creating a strong support ecosystem for the MSMEs through facilitating access to a pool of qualified, accredited and trusted para-professionals, ‘corporate mitras’.

The corporate mitras are envisaged to provide accessible, affordable, and quality compliance and business support services to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) while creating a pool of trained para-professionals by equipping young graduates with industry-relevant knowledge and practical skills. The initiative is expected to strengthen the MSME ecosystem and enhance employment opportunities, particularly across the Northeast region (NER). The accredited corporate mitras are expected to provide professional assistance to the local enterprises for the non-core aspects of their business operation, ie, regulatory, compliance, financial and taxation, accounting, and governance-related needs, thereby ensuring that MSMEs can focus on innovation, expansion and growth, while meeting regulatory requirements with ease.

The scheme implementation is planned with an initial pan-India target of 2,000 participants, including 200 exclusively from the NER, with a 50% fee concession being available for the NER candidates.

For the scheme’s rollout and implementation in the NER, Shillong-based IICA has been designated as the nodal agency for coordination and liaison with state governments and other stakeholders (universities, associations, industry bodies, institutes, etc) for promotion and awareness of the scheme.

Registration for the Corporate Mitra course was launched on 15 July and will be live till to 31 July. The registration link is: https://swayamplus.education.gov.in/courses/corporate-mitra.

During the webinar, OSD for IICA Shillong, Debarun Kalita expressed gratitude to the visionary leadership and guidance of the IICA Director General Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, under whose stewardship the original concept of the Corporate Mitra course was developed, structured and given shape.

Kalita said that “the development context and conceiving of the Corporate Mitra concept is aimed at addressing the inherent challenges faced by the MSMEs in business growth, scale-up and expansion, particularly in the Northeast, on account of regulatory and secretarial compliance burden, lack of affordable business advisory, support professionals, and pressing need for transformative initiatives towards ease of doing business.”

ICMAI president Chittaranjan Chattopadhyay highlighting the importance of building a skilled professional workforce to support MSMEs and contribute to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

ICMAI vice president Manoj Kumar Anand informed the participants about the need to have a facilitative and supporting ecosystem both for the youths/students and the MSMEs, which the Corporate Mitra scheme addresses.

RGU Commerce Ho D Prof Rama Chandra Parida appreciated the collaborative initiative, and encouraged students to explore the opportunities offered under the Corporate Mitra scheme.

The technical session featured a comprehensive presentation on the scheme’s objectives, implementation framework, and core competencies by the lead co-host from the ICMAI Dr SK Gupta, followed by an engaging interactive session that addressed participants’ queries.

The webinar witnessed enthusiastic participation of more than 150 students, faculty members, and aspiring professionals representing various institutions across Arunachal.