In August 2024, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and TVS Mobility launched a Centre of Excellence on Employment & Livelihood to support micro entrepreneurs across Tamil Nadu. This center aims to support 1,000 micro-entrepreneurs from nine districts across Tamil Nadu via a special project called ‘Puthiya Payanam: Valarchiyai Noki’.

In its first phase, it has targeted to support 320 entrepreneurs across 8 districts in Tamil Nadu. The grand ambition of the project is to empower 1000 entrepreneurs. According to a recent report, this target is on schedule. The 320 entrepreneurs belong to Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, and Karur; and they will be supported through a Special Capacity Building Program from October 18 to November 22, 2024.

The inaugural program commenced in Coimbatore on Friday as a two-day Special Training Program on Business & Financial Excellence for Entrepreneurs on, and it had the participation of Kranthi Kumar Pati IAS, District Collector, Coimbatore as a special speaker.

The session was a two-day program and it was attended by over 40 micro-entrepreneurs from the city as part of the development program. The entrepreneurs of Puthiya Payanam will later be enrolled into the CII Tamil Nadu Micro Entrepreneurs Forum, which would in turn be led and guided by the CII Zonal and District Leadership. Through this forum, the entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to work closely with CII leadership and mentorship support.

R Nandini, Chairperson - CII Southern Region and Managing Director, Chandra Textiles, mentioned that Prime Minister launched an initiative in February 2024, emphasizing the crucial role of micro-enterprises in employment generation and economic growth. She also highlighted that this is the first time CII has established the headquarters of a national center of excellence in a tier 2 city, Madurai, signifying the importance of tier 2, tier 3, and rural economies for national progress.

She emphasized CII's ability to leverage its core strengths—membership base, policy advocacy, and expertise in skill development—to promote micro-enterprises. Through a collaborative approach, these initiatives can create an ecosystem that drives sustainable socio-economic development and contributes to India becoming a developed nation by 2047.

Ilango, Past Chairman, CII Coimbatore Zone & Vice President, Rangamma Steels and Malleables; Rajesh Doraiswamy, Vice Chairman, CII Coimbatore & Joint Managing Director, Salzer Electronics Ltd; Srikumaravelu, Managing Partner, Tekmak Industries also addressed the gathering.