FAQs

Q How old is FISME?

A. The National Alliance Young Entrepreneurs (N.A.Y.E.) - established in 1967, along with eight state-level associations of small industries jointly gave birth to FISME in 1995. With FISME’s inception, it assumed the federal structure and the state chapters of N.A.Y.E. became independent state body and joined FISME as its members.

Q. Who can become member of FISME? Who are members of FISME?

A. Either the Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) based in India or their industry associations can become member of FISME. Only enterprises engaged in manufacturing or service enterprises are encouraged to become members; traders are not allowed to take membership.

 

Membership is open to all SMEs subject to approval of Central Executive Committee (CEC) of FISME. FISME’s membership is spread over all major sectors ranging from handicrafts to engineering to high-tech electronic items. Through, associated SME associations, FISME reach out to over 100,000 SMEs across the country.

Q. How are the office bearers of FISME selected and what is the organization structure?

A. The apex decision making body of FISME is the Central Executive Committee. It has 21-elected members. 7 oldest members retire every year and therefore 7 seven seats are offered for general election every year.

Any FISME member can file his/her nomination for membership of CEC. If more than seven nominations are received, all eligible FISME members cast their vote to select the seven CEC members. The members who secure highest number of votes are declared elected.

The CEC elects the President for one year and the office bearers for three years. The CEC usually authorize the President to nominate his own team of office bearers. Besides the President, normally the other office bearers are: one Sr. Vice President, 4 Vice Presidents, one Treasurer. The Secretary General is non-elected full time office bearer who heads the Secretariat.

Q. What is the chief objective of FISME?

A. The Mission objective of FISME states: "To assist SMEs build the capabilities to respond to changing external environment and exploit new opportunities by becoming market centric".

Q. What is the focus of FISME’s activities?

A. Assistance to small and medium enterprises in marketing their products is the chief focus of FISME’s activities. The bottom line is that whatever activity we organize, it should contribute in empowerment and the capacity building of the members’ enterprises in becoming more profitable than before.

Q. What kinds of activities are undertaken by FISME to assist the SMEs in marketing?

A. FISME’s activities are meant to address the following constraints of SMEs: their inability to access right information on new markets for their products, new emerging opportunities that are more profitable, and technologically viable.

FISME also provide training facilities to SMEs, updating them with new innovative tools of financing, and information on new laws and legislation having impact on their businesses.

Therefore, following is the illustrative list of activities that are organized by FISME to address these constraints:

  1. Trade Fairs:

 

FISME organizes collective participation in Trade Fairs in India and abroad at affordable prices. Most Trade Fairs organized by FISME are partially or wholly sponsored by Indian Government, UN Agencies, SIDBI or other Trade Promotion Organizations.

 

  1. Trade delegations:

 

FISME also mounts Trade delegations to select foreign markets with the help of Trade promotion Agencies to reduce cost to SMEs.

 

  1. Meetings with foreign Trade delegations and Buyer/Seller meets:

 

Most foreign Trade delegations visiting India seek a meeting with FISME members and such meetings are organized on cost-to-cost basis.

 

  1. Seminars:

 

FISME regularly organizes Seminars on generally two types of topics: one that are related to Marketing and the other related to Regulations (national and international).

 

The topics of recent seminars, for example, have been: WTO implications for SMEs, EXIM Policy, E-Commerce, Marketing to Central Purchasing agencies as DGS&D, DGQA etc.

 

  1. Training Program :

 

Short Term training program for entrepreneurs on topics of their interest as on Quality, productivity, art of living, Export documentation etc. Further, Sponsored Training program are also available to FISME members through International Trade Promotion Organizations as CBI-Netherlands, APO etc.

 

  1. Information dissemination:

 

Continuous flow of information is directed to the members containing Trade Inquiries/ Business opportunities, Market/ country Reports, changes in rules/ regulations, technology etc through e-mail as well as postal. FISME publications are also being sent to them FREE of cost. However, for detailed information, our website is regularly updated. 

 

  1. Research :

 

FISME spends considerable resources in research related to the emerging needs of SMEs. The focus of the research remains on markets or legislation affecting markets.

 

  1. SMEnetwork:

 

FISME has promoted India’s first portal for Small and medium Enterprises (SMEs) – the SMEnetwork. SMEnetwork houses horizontal as well as vertical e-communities of SMEs.

 

Q. How FISME is different from other associations?

 

A. FISME’s focus is qualitatively different from other associations, which is very clear by its mission statement. ‘Market’ is the center of the activity in FISME. While associations, generally, are governed by ‘demands’ of the sector, FISME is concerned about the ‘needs’ of the sector.

 

Q. Is FISME recognized by the Government of India?

 

A. In India:

 

FISME is regarded as the progressive face of Indian SMEs and is recognized as such by all Ministries and related organizations of the Union Government. Accordingly FISME is nominated by the Government at:

 

  • Member of Quasi judicial ‘Advisory Committee’ under MSME Development Act 2006, Ministry of MSME.

 

  • Member of Board of Trade under Director General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

 

  • FISME is authorized by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India to issue Certificate of Origin (for exporters). FISME’s authorization is duly recognized by Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India for purposes of legalization of documents.

 

  • Non-profit status granted by Income Tax department under sections 12-A and 80G.

 

  • Member of Working groups on Small Industries at Planning Commission.

 

  • Scores of committees related to MSME in Ministry of Commerce and Industry, DGFT and Export Promotion Councils, Ministry of MSME, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of External Affairs among others.

 

  • FISME works closely with public SSI promotion institutions of the country as Development Commissioner-MSME, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) etc. and have launched several joint initiatives at national level.

 

  • Further, FISME is regularly invited to appear before the Department Related Standing Committees of the Parliament on Small Scale Industries, Commerce and Industry etc., to present its views.

 

  • FISME also works closely with several State Governments for the development and growth of SMEs and is represented at several boards/ committees in different states.

 

b. Abroad :

 

  • FISME is the only national body of SMEs that is working closely with United Nations Agencies as UNCTAD, UNIDO, ITC, ILO, UN-G77 CCI etc.

 

  • Besides, FISME has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in 19 countries with counterpart SME associations in both developed and developing countries.

 

FISME has recently opened a representative office in Beijing with ICEC.