Programs Conducted at VIB

The major emphasis of all the work of VIB is the delivery of technology and the vehicle is the entrepreneurship/ entrepreneurs. Hence to promote this important segment VIB is to put its continuous strive and it aims to build up a unit which excels in different activities relevant to entrepreneurship development program. It needs continuous program on motivation, training, and incubation. The institute promotes social business; it will encourage the individuals to form groups and to continue the business activities.

The real challenge lies in reaching out to farmers in a sustainable manner to deliver Products and services which have already been developed / are being developed through research initiatives at VIB or any other institutes. The model that is slowly gaining ground envisages rural based institutional set up such as, VCSs/ producers’ cooperatives / producers’ companies/producers JLGs that play significant roles in commercially channelizing products and services to farmers through KSKs , the rural entrepreneurs who are being trained and developed by VIB on a continuous basis. In real term, KSKs are the most important links in this delivery model to build up relationship marketing in the operational villages.

The scope of marketing of certain products, viz., mushrooms, honey, honey and bee based products, Vermi compost, etc., needs to be extended to not only villages but major cities/ towns. A major thrust to professionalize marketing initiatives is required to measure up to the challenge that is likely to confront all the units/centers of VIB. The units/centers though have the responsibilities to deliver/market their respective products and or services to end-users and in the process achieve financial viability, their core competencies centre around carrying out applied research to develop new products and continuously upgrade process and technology. As expected, they do lack knowledge and skills in handling marketing responsibilities to the extent needed, on their own. Further the farmers needs help to access the market for their end product and this job is to be carried out by this unit. In the above back-drop, creation of RMEDP Cell is very critical and imperative to drive the marketing process in the best possible ways.

To promote the entrepreneurship the following programs have been taken up:

1. Organize EAP,EDP,SDP and incubation for the trainees; to design/ develop the competence based curriculum/ manual in collaboration with the Information unit and other areas.
2. To assist the youths to select proper trade for the venture, arrange the financial aspects for the new aspirants.
3. To organize/ manage the VCS, the KSK network, the BC activities, the target of BC activities are the financial inclusion of the all the people.
4. Organize the farmers in JLG, creation of database for one lakh farmers.
5. To organize/ coordinate all the trainings/ awareness programs in the field.
6. To organize the production of all the components of VIB.
7. Initiate and oversee implementation of commercialization strategies in line with the goals and objectives of VIB; formulate and ensure implementation of strategies to lay a strong foundation and achieve desired marketing growth.
8. Investigate, evaluate, develop and implement market development activities and need based promotional measures.
9. Explore, firm up and operationalize ‘win-win’ tie-up arrangement with appropriate institutions in the major urban centers to utilize their infrastructure to market products round the year.
10. Build and maintain relations with relevant stakeholders.
11. Develop data base in coordination with MIS & IT and implement a system of regular review that brings out among others product/service wise marketing progress and way forward to tackle all critical issues and problems.
12. Develop and conduct tailor made training programs for marketing channel members on a continuous basis.
13. Scouting technologies and then prepare the techno-bank or making accessible the existing such banks for the potential entrepreneurs.
14. Promotion of social business concept and the Institute products, financial plan development and development/establishment of banking services/insurances etc, organizing training on HR promotion (KSKs/Inst. staff/JLGs),micro-finance etc.

With an intension to deliver /disseminate the modern biotechnology services to the remote areas of Sundarbans, we feel that it is also necessary to provide financial services to our beneficiaries.

Considering this approach, from F.Y. 2008-2009, we had started the financial Inclusion programme in collaboration with State Bank of India as a Business Correspondent (BC). Now we are providing both Agricultural and Financial services in the remote areas of South 24 Parganas of West Bengal through 75 Customer Service Provider cum Krishi Sampad Karmis (CSP cum KSK). Till the end of F.Y. 2014-15 we have touched 350 villages of this district.

Usually the CSP cum KSK started their work after a through training on every technologies of the Institute and the techniques of Financial Services.