The Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) is a sub-component of the National Rural Livelihood Mission which was initiated in 2015. The Micro Enterprise Consultant (MEC) Project was among the models that went into the design of SVEP. Kudumbashree NRO played a crucial role in the development of the concept of SVEP.

SVEP envisages to help the rural poor come out of poverty by helping them set up enterprises and provide support till the enterprises stabilize. This will be done by providing them with business skills, exposure, loans for starting and business support during the first critical six months of the enterprises by using the NRLM SHGs and their federations. These skills shall be imparted by local youth who shall be trained in business management, monitoring and support using ICT and audio-visual aids. These local Community Resource Persons for Enterprise Promotion (CRP’s-EP) shall be providing support to the enterprises.

In its first phase of validating the concept, SVEP is expected to support creation and strengthening of about 1.82 lakh village enterprises in 125 Blocks across 24 States in the targeted four years i.e. 2015-19. This is expected to create employment for about 3.78 lakh persons.

The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has identified Kudumbashree as a National Resource Organization for SVEP. In 2016, four states have taken up SVEP Projects with Kudumbashree NRO as the implementation agency. These include Bihar (6 blocks), Jharkhand (5 blocks), Rajasthan (2 blocks) and Kerala (2 blocks). Kudumbashree NRO is also responsible for developing the content and teaching materials for CRP-EP’s business management curriculam under SVEP nationally. This is based on the Training in Enterprise Administration and Management (TEAM) training course that have been used in the MEC Project pilots.

 

 

Two blocks in Kerala were approved by the Empowered Committee of NRLM for the implementation of SVEP in 2016. Parakkode block in Pathanamthitta district and Vaduvakode block in Ernakulam district were the blocks approved for Kerala.

There are 7 gram panchayats in Parakode block and 11 villages, of which all are reported as inhabited. The total area of Parakode is 250.68 sq. km and population density is 822.71 persons per sq. km.Parakode has significant concentration of Scheduled Castes population with around 19% of the population belonging to Scheduled Castes category.

There are 6 gram panchayats in Vadavukode block and 7 villages and 2 towns, of which all are reported as inhabited. The total area of rural Vadavukode is 149.33 sq. km and population density is 835 persons per sq. km.Vadavukode has significant concentration of Scheduled Castes population with around 13% of the population belonging to Scheduled Castes category.

Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) were finalized in November 2016, after field surveys assessing household demand and existing local enterprise conditions to identify the opportunities for enterprise development in the blocks. The period of implementation of SVEP in these two blocks in from Feb 2017 to Feb, 2021.

The total target of enterprises to be supported under SVEP over four years was set as 4218 (2164 in Parakkode and 2054 in Vaduvakode) based on the DPRs. The number of CRP’s-EP to be identified and trained for the achievement of this target was identified as 61 (31 in Parakkode and 30 in Vaduvakode).

The total budget for the implementation of SVEP over four years is Rs. 11.35 crores (Rs. 5.7 crores in Parakkode and Rs. 5.6 crores in Vaduvakode). Of this 40% of the costs will be borne by Government of Kerala and 60% by the central government.

The selected CRP’s-EP in Kerala have been trained in modules developed by Kudumbashree NRO over four months. The modules they are trained in are: Training in Entrepreneur Development (TED) and Training in Enterprise Administration and Management (TEAM).

The Empowered Committee of NRLM has approved 12 more blocks in the remaining 12 districts for SVEP implementation in 2017.

District Name of block No. of Kudumbashree Mentors No. of CRP-EPs No. of enterprises supported No. of loans disbursed from CEF under SVEP Total amount of loans disbursed from CEF under SVEP
Ernakulam Vadavukodu 1 11 102 0 0
Pathanamthitta Parakkodu 1 19 65 0 0
Total   2 30 167 0 0

 

 

Age Distribution of Entrepreneurs:

Age Bracket Vadavucode Paracode Vadavucode% Paracode%
20-25 4 2 3% 2%
26-30 7 1 6% 2%
31-35 14 14 14% 22%
36-40 15 9 15% 14%
41-45 17 14 18% 22%
46-50 18 10 19% 16%
51-55 15 5 15% 8%
56-60 7 7 6% 11%
61-70 5 3 3% 5%
Grand Total 102 65 100% 100%

Majority of the enterprises are started by Entrepreneurs between 31 to 50.

 

Community Distribution of Entrepreneurs:

Community Vadavucode Paracode Vadavucode % Paracode %
General 43 28 42% 44%
OBC 34 29 33% 45%
SC 21 8 21% 13%
Minority 3 0 3% 0%
ST 1 0 1% 0%
Grand Total 102 64 100% 100%

Though both the SVEP blocks are having significant SC population, the reach of SVEP is low. Situation is much worse with Minorities and STs.

 

Education Distribution of Entrepreneurs:

Education Vadavucode Paracode Vadavucode % Paracode %
Primary 8 4 8% 6%
Upper Primary 11 4 11% 6%
10th 37 28 36% 43%
PLUS TWO 2 5 2% 8%
DIPLOMA 7 16 7% 25%
ITI 5 3 5% 5%
Graduates 11 5 11% 8%
PG 2 0 2% 0%
OTHERS 19 0 19% 0%
Grand Total 102 65 100% 100%

Around 88% of the Entrepreneurs are having qualification of 10th or more.

 

SHG Membership Distribution of Entrepreneurs:

Member of SHG in Years Vadavucode Paracode Vadavucode % Paracode %
Less than a year 8 1 8% 2%
01 to 05 years 37 16 36% 25%
06 to 10 years 20 11 20% 17%
11 years to 15 years 36 31 35% 48%
More than 15 years 1 6 1% 9%
Grand Total 102 65 100% 100%

More than 50% of the enterprises have come from SHG members of membership 11 years or more.

 

Type of Enterprise Distribution:

Enterprise Type Vadavucode Paracode Vadavucode % Paracode %
PRODUCTION 43 34 42% 52%
SERVICE 33 14 32% 22%
SERVICE & TRADE 0 1 0% 2%
TRADE 26 16 25% 25%
Grand Total 102 65 100% 100%

Majority of the enterprises started as of now are in production.

 

Current Occupation of the Entrepreneur Who has started Enterprise:

Current Occupation of the Enterprenuer Vadavucode Paracode Vadavucode % Paracode %
Home Maker 57 35 59% 55%
NREGS 15 24 15% 38%
Production Related Work 3 0 3% 0%
Service Related Work 23 0 24% 0%
Student 2 0 2% 0%
SVEP MEC 1 0 1% 0%
Unemployed 1 6 1% 9%
Grand Total 97 64 100% 100%

91% of the Entrepreneurs are Home Maker or NREGS workers.

 

Initial Investment Distribution of Entrepreneurs:

Investment Bracket Vadavucode Paracode Vadavucode % Paracode %
Less Than 10000 23 15 23% 23%
10000 - 20000 20 10 20% 15%
20000 - 40000 22 8 22% 12%
40000 - 100000 21 15 21% 23%
100000 - 500000 15 17 15% 26%
Greater Than 500000 1 0 1% 0%
Grand Total 102 65 100% 100%

Majority of the initial investments in SVEP blocks are through own funds. Around 26% of the enterprises are having investment of 1 lakh to 5 lakhs.

 

Insights of both SVEP blocks:

Age Bracket Vs Own Funds:

As the age is increasing, the proportion of putting own funds for starting enterprises is decreasing.

 

 

Age Bracket Vs Business Type:

In the below chart, the stronger the colour, the greater is its significance. Among OBCs, the Production related enterprises are distributed throughout all age groups, whereas this trend is seen among production related enterprises in General category in 36 to 55 age brackets.

 

 

SHG Member Relationship Status Vs Loan Taken Vs Own Funds:

Majority of the own funds are kept for enterprises started by their sons and are in the investment range of 100000 and above.

 

 

Community Vs Education Vs Enterprise Type:

 

From the above chart the following can be inferred:

  1. Among SCs, 10th pass and graduates are more interested in production related enterprises. 10th and 12th pass are interested in service related enterprises and 10th pass are interested in trade related enterprises.
  2. Among General, 12th pass and graduates are more interested in production related enterprises. 12th pass are interested in service related enterprises and 10th and 12th pass are interested in trade related enterprises.
  3. Among OBCs, 12th pass and graduates are more interested in production related enterprises. 12th pass are interested in service related enterprises and 10th and 12th pass are interested in trade related enterprises.
  4. As of now, each community is interested in starting production related enterprises only.

 

 

Kudumbashree NRO is supporting 3 partner state missions (partner SRLMs) in implementing SVEP in 13 blocks other than the two blocks in Kerala as per approval of the Empowered Committee, since 2016.

In Bihar, the blocks where Kudumbashree NRO is supporting implementation of SVEP are Bodhgaya and Barachatti (Gaya district), Dhanarua (Patna district), Jandaha (Vaishali district), and, Muraul and Mushahari (Muzaffarpur district). Of these, both blocks in Gaya and Muzaffarpur have been areas where the MEC Project was being implemented by Kudumbashree NRO. The MEC’s trained as part of the project were deployed as CRP’s-EP.

In Jharkhand, the blocks where Kudumbashree NRO is supporting implementation of SVEP are Angara (Ranchi district), Khuntpani and Manoharpur (West Singhbum district), and, Littipara and Pakuria (Pakur district). All the blocks in Jharkhand have been areas where the MEC Project was being implemented by Kudumbashree NRO. The MEC’s trained as part of the project were deployed as CRP’s-EP.

In Rajasthan, the blocks where Kudumbashree NRO is supporting implementation of SVEP are Begun (Chittorgarh district) and Kekri (Ajmer district).

The selected CRP’s-EP in all states have been trained in modules developed by Kudumbashree NRO over four months. The modules they are trained in are: Training in Entrepreneur Development (TED) and Training in Enterprise Administration and Management (TEAM).

The Empowered Committee has approved Kudumbashree NRO to support SVEP implementation, starting in 2017, in 3 blocks in Chattisgarh, 5 blocks in Madhya Pradesh, 2 blocks in Andhra Pradesh and 2 blocks in Telengana besides 4 additional blocks in Jharkhand.

State No. of blocks No. of Kudumbashree Mentors No. of CRP-EPs No. of enterprises supported No. of loans disbursed from CEF under SVEP Total amount of loans disbursed from CEF under SVEP
Bihar 6 6 104 259 231 8,727,500
Jharkhand 5 5 80 133 0 0
Rajasthan 2 3 44 292 0 0
Kerala 2 3 30 167 0 0
Total 15 17 258 851 231 8,727,500