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Linking SMEs Worldwide...

The International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME) - an ISO 9001 certified International Non-
Government Organisation, with its headquarters at New Delhi - has been working for the cause and development of
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) world over since its inception in 2010. It is always on the lookout for
avenues for enterprises and entrepreneurs so as to enable people participate in the market process. It works with its
members, affiliates and partners across the world for the promotion of MSMEs. ISSME brings together policy
makers, facilitators, experts, educators, researchers and small business enterprises from around the world. They use
this platform to share their experience, knowledge and expertise in their respective fields.
Linking SMEs Worldwide...
on Empowering Informal Sector
Enterprises for Global Market Outreach:
Challenges and Way Forward
ISSME Round Table Discussion
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844 Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises
Postal Address
P O Box No. 4354, Kalkaji HPO,
New Delhi 110019, India
Website: http://www.issme.org
8
E-Mail: info@issme.org *
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
TM
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
TM
PROCEEDINGS





















International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)

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International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO,
New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844
Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org
Website: www.issme.org



Published by Sunil D Sharma on behalf of International Society for Small and
Medium Enterprises, New Delhi.


ISBN : 978-81-922628-2-6


Price: Free
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
2
ISSME Round Table Discussion on

Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way forward

PROCEEDINGS

Informal Sector Enterprise
sector has got the presence of
highly talented entrepreneurs.
But they need a helping hand at
various stages of their growth,
so that many of them could
graduate into micro, small and
medium sized enterprises and
grow further, contributing
much more to the economic
growth and development, as
formal enterprises in the
economy. However, an
economic and enterprise
focused approach is needed, as
that only would augment their
competiveness and enhance
their employment and wealth
generation capacity. Further,
there is a need to address issues
such as packaging, marketing,
product quality and better,
appropriate & green
technologies. Also, training and
capacity building requirements
of informal sector needs to be
addressed along with creating
an institutional mechanism that
provide various services to them
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
3
such as hand holding,
mentoring, technology &
finance facilitation and
providing information to
informal sector at each of the
community bloc level.

These were some of the
recommendations emerged out
of a round table discussion
organized by International
Society for Small and Medium
Enterprises (ISSME), on
November 12, 2012 at YWCA,
New Delhi. ISSME is an
international organization
working for the promotion of
SMEs and informal sector
entrepreneurs globally.
The round table discussion
on informal sector

The discussion which was held
on February 12, 2013 at YWCA
conference room, Ashoka Road,
New Delhi, was attended by
representatives from various
industry and informal sector
enterprise associations &
forums, micro finance agencies,
NGOs, government and many
grassroots organizations and
informal sector entrepreneurs.
There were more than 12
presentations from different
sectors by experts and
representatives from
associations and chambers. Mr.
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
4
P. K Padhy, Principal Labor and
Employment Advisor, Ministry
of Labor, Government of India,
delivered the keynote address.
The discussion was chaired and
moderated by Dr. P. Koshy.

Understanding informal
sector enterprises

Informal enterprises could be
broadly defined as units engaged
in the production of goods or
services for the primary purpose
of generating employment and
income to entrepreneurs
themselves. The size of the unit
might be below a specified level
of employment as well as non-
registration of the enterprises or
its employees are the aspects
common to informal sector
enterprises. Adoption of
technology, finance sources,
marketing tools used and
markets, employment are all
indicators while defining an
informal sector enterprise. As
per the National Commission for
Enterprise in the Unorganized
Sector, the unorganized sector
consists of all unincorporated
private enterprises owned by
individuals or households
engaged in the sale and
production of goods and services
operated on a proprietary or
partnership basis and with less
than ten total workers.

Based on a standard definition,
for the purpose of some
estimation, if we consider
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
5
informal sector as consisting of
all enterprises outside the public
and private corporate sectors
which employed five or less
workers, based on that
definition, as per NSSO 67
th

round survey, 84.7 per cent of
jobs in the economy were in the
informal sector, 4.5 per cent in
the public sector, 2.5 per cent in
the private corporate sector and
only 8.4 per cent in the formal
household sector, consisting of
enterprises employing more
than five workers. Own account
enterprises (OAEs) or those that
employ no hired labour on a
regular basis account for an
overwhelming 84-86 per cent of
all enterprises. (For more details
on definition and data on
informal sector please refer
Annexure A).

Livelihood,
entrepreneurship
development and
empowering informal
enterprises

They need support to address
challenges such as finance,
better technology, marketing
support and linkages. They need
training in accounting,
marketing skills, technology
adoption/use, skill up-gradation
and development. Many of these
entrepreneurs, given such
support could grow and
contribute much to the economy
in terms of employment
generation and most
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
6
importantly, making a better life
for themselves and their
families.

Importance of informal
enterprises in the economy from
the point of view of sustaining
the livelihood and well-being of
a very large section of
population was the focus of
round table discussion,
therefore, the discussion
addressed aspects like better
marketing tools for them,
meeting the information needs
of them and role of ICT in that
both in marketing as well in
market & business intelligence
for informal sector, and other
aspects such as finance,
appropriate technology for
them, as well as some relevant
models and role of NGOs,
industry associations &
chambers & civil society
organizations and the
government.

Enterprise oriented
approach

Mr. P. K Padhy, Principal Labor
and Employment Advisor,
Ministry of Labor, Government
of India, delivered the keynote
address. In his address, Mr.
Padhy highlighted the need for
an economic approach rather
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
7
than sociological approach while
dealing with informal sector
enterprises, as that would be
crucial, in order to enable and
empower them to reach out to
the global market. Dr. P. Koshy,
in his introductory remarks also
raised the need for an enterprise
focused approach with regard to
informal sector. He said,
challenges faced by informal
sector enterprises need to be
viewed as a matter of industrial
policy and enterprise
development strategy, rather
than limiting to labor market
and related issues.

Training, education and
awareness

Issues that they face are
innumerable. They need skill
development & specific training
assistance. Mr. Padhy
highlighted the importance of
training programs and talked
about government initiatives
and schemes. He specifically
mentioned about the need for
tailor-made programs for
informal sector enterprises.
They need training in different
areas. It is important to provide
them need based skill
development.

Mr. Satayender Chaudhary,
highlighted the importance of
training for informal sector
entrepreneurs in the use and
adoption of ICT. He said, basic
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
8
ICT tools & technology are
available free, but what is
needed is training opportunities
in usage. Training is also
required in tax related matters,
accounting, marketing skills,
and awareness creation
programmes about probable
impact resulting from policy
changes.

Mr. Vighnesh Jha raised the
need for training and awareness
for Electronic Waste Pickers and
Hazardous Waste management
entrepreneurs. These are
emerging segments, where a
large number of entrepreneurs
are finding their livelihood.
Providing needed training and
capacity building would help
them perform their businesses
in a safe manner. Further, by
adding value to the waste that
they collect, there would be
considerable improvement in
the income levels. Value
addition is an often neglected
area and training is needed in
value addition techniques as well
as in the area of safety.

Koshy said with regard to street
food sellers, with some training,
awareness and some sessions on
better industry practices that
they could adopt, their
businesses can be improved, as
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
9
well as the quality of the
products that make. He also
referred to the PURE project by
Chandigarh Business School.
CBS undertook an educational
outreach program called PURE.
The program PURE targets
Dhabba managers and workers!
PURE attempts to improve the
conditions and management
practices at Dhabbas, common
mans eating place, which are
found across Northern India.

Financing informal sector
ventures

Banking institutions often shy
away from dealing with informal
sector enterprises. Informal
sector players do not have any
kind of identity, registration and
other needed documents and
business plans that bankers
needed to evaluate project
feasibility. In this context, micro
finance institutions have
emerged as bankers of informal
sector. Mr. Anoop Kaul,
National Head Financial
Inclusion, BASIX, referred to
some of the initiatives that
BASIX has taken up in this
regard. BASIX is present in
micro finance and helping
informal entrepreneurs
considerably. Ms. Anubha
Prasad, DGM of SIDBI,
explained about SIDBI
initiatives in reaching out to
informal sector and financial
inclusion strategies. She
mentioned about the works of
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
10
SIDBI Foundation for Micro
Finance and other such steps
taken by SIDBI.

Marketing, brand-building,
packaging and quality

Mr. Charles Dhinakaran, Project
Officer at CASA, apart from
giving a macro overview of the
informal sector, addressed some
of the challenges such as
marketing, brand-building,
better packaging, quality etc.
Ms. Anubha Prasad also
highlighted the importance of
enhancing the competiveness
and quality, as they determine
the viability of any project
whether in the formal or
informal sector.

Informal sector as part of
global value chain: success
stories and strategies

In the era of global market, it is
important for enterprises to get
equipped to be part of global
value chains. In this context they
need to address issues like better
designs, quality of the products,
packaging as well as IT based
marketing tools as well. Mr.
Charles referred about some of
the models, such as FABINDIA.
How FAB India procures from
informal sector ventures and
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
11
ensures good prices for their
products was narrated. Also, he
narrated some of the initiatives
by NGOs.

Mr. K. S. Ahluwalia, talked
about how Earthen Creations, a
venture initiated by his wife, Ms.
Harpreet Ahluwalia. Earthern
Creations is an organization
working among pottery
entrepreneurs in 20 clusters in
India. He explained how they
could empower and help them in
marketing and how could they
contribute towards welfare and
enhanced income levels of these
entrepreneurs. Handicrafts is a
vast sector, Primarily a rural,
disorganized market its
market size is estimated to be
around Rs. 5,000 crores out of
which terracotta pots account
for Rs. 50 crores. Since the
potters are spread across in god
forsaken locations, and their
produce mostly gets consumed
at the village weekly haats level.

Though a sector dominated by
handicrafts men, potters etc,
they dont get good price.
Handicrafts have now become
an industry of capitalists rather
than that of commoners. In this
context, Earthern Creations have
worked with over 1 lakh
entrepreneurs in pottery sector
in 20 clusters across the country.
Since bulks of these products fail
to reach the cities, the export
market is largely untapped.
Most exports are being done at
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
12
specific clusters and not in deep
down villages. Earthern
Creations has been able to put in
shape a composite plan wherein
the local talent pools skills,
competencies are enhanced into
a business proposition, such that
creations created are a stand out
and are show stoppers. Each
artisan being carefully selected,
is imparted personalized
intensive training, to up skill his
productivity, while honing up
his innovative capacity. Over 20
clusters have been incepted
spread across states of
Rajasthan, Orissa, Tamil Nadu,
and West Bengal, wherein over
scores of potters have been
showcased.

Enabling informal sector
for foreign trade: need for
export training
Prof. H P Singh of NIESBUD,
talked about how training
programs offered by NIESBUD
would be of use to informal
entrepreneurs. He also talked
about informal sector
enterprises reaching out to
global market by enabling them
to export their products and
services. Training programs and
continuous mentoring support
that are available at NIESBUD
would be of use to informal
players, he added.

Regulatory reforms needed
and burden of regulatory
system contributing to in-
formalization
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
13
Mr. Ashish Porwal of Srathak
Advocates and Solicitors talked
about the need for reforms and
legal framework impacting
informal sector enterprises.
There is a need for further
simplification of procedures and
process. Though, a lot reforms
had taken place nothing much
had reached to the lowest level
at DICs, said Mr. Vijaya Seth,
General Secretary, Indian Micro,
Small Industry and Handicrafts
Association.
Informal sector moving into
formal business space:
success story of HRA E-
Waste Pvt Ltd

E-Waste Handling and
Management Rules-2011 have
become effective from 1
st
May
2012. Rules would be applicable
to every producer, consumer and
bulk consumer involved in
manufacture, sales, purchase
and processing of electronic
equipment or components.
Under these rules the producers
and the bulk consumers have to
recycle the E-waste or help in
channelizing the e-waste to only
the authorized entities to do so.
They have realized that this new
rule would have serious impact
on informal sector waste
workers and kabadiwalas. As of
now 95 percent or more of the e-
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
14
waste collection, segregation and
even refurbish or recycling is
being done by those in the
informal sector. With the new
rule, they feared that their
members would be thrown out
of this field. As such kabadi or
waste gathering communities
are reluctant to join the
mainstream and formalize their
businesses. All India Kabadi
Mazdoor Mahasangh (AIKMM)
took initiative to protect the
livelihood of those involved in
this informal business
traditionally in the context of
new policies and regulation.
Here emerged HRA e-Waste Pvt.
Ltd, said Mr. Vighnesh Jha who
spoke on behalf of All India
Kabadi Mazdoor Mahasangh.
Members of this informal sector
entrepreneurs association called
AIKMM would now legally
authorize its members for e-
garbage collection from any
private or public sector
companies.

Role of modernization and
technology adoption: Case
of Urban Cycle Rickshaw
Entrepreneurs

Mr. Vighnesh Jha, Federation of
Rickshaw Pullers of India,
presented the case of
modernization attempt by
informal urban transport
providers like cycle rickshaw
workers and others. He
explained the initiatives like
solar rickshaws and innovations
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
15
that are happening in the sector.
He called for introducing
minimum charges per kilometer
and metered rickshaws. Some of
the finance related issues also
came up during discussion and
Ms. Anubha Prasad promised to
look in to the problems of
finance availability for
modernization through the
Federation. And Mr. P. K Padhy
also agreed to look into some of
the demands made by Mr. Jha.

Policy contradictions
affecting enterprise health
& security

Mr. M. L. Dhawan of Laghu
Udyog Bharati highlighted
various challenges faced by the
sector such as labor shortage. He
also said how employment
guarantee schemes by the
government is affecting the
sector and acting
counterproductive to production
process and entrepreneurship
and SMEs in the country,
including informal
manufacturing in the rural as
well as urban India.

Institutional mechanism
needed

Dr. Koshy called for introducing
a support system, an
institutional mechanism for
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
16
providing needed support to
informal sector. He said an
Enterprise Resource Centre is
what is needed for strengthening
informal ventures. Such a
mechanism has to be created for
enabling & facilitating their
upwardly growth in the
enterprise pyramid so that they
could contribute much more to
the economic development,
employment generation and
poverty alleviation. Institutional
mechanism that would be
created can facilitate the
formation of new start-ups and
work to empower and assist
informal sector enterprises as
well as micro & small enterprises
in their growth and expansion.
This mechanism should have the
capacity to address some of the
issues that the enterprises face
such as credit related issues, lack
of information, marketing
support, technological and
technical assistance etc.

A possible solution for this may
be instituting a country wide
network of Enterprise Resource
Centres (ERCs) at Community
Development Block (CDBs)
level. Providing appropriate
support system to enterprises
are very crucial for their survival
in the competitive global
market. The support system is
required to provide assistance to
firms in terms of identifiying
new markets, appropriate
technology, smooth flow of
institutional credit, smooth
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
17
dealing with the regulatory
system and in any other such
matters that enterprises need
support.

Other presentations

Also, those who talked and
participated in the discussions
are Mr. Anoop Kaul, National
Head, Financial Inclusion,
Basix; Dr. S. K Surana, All India
Plastics Industries Association;
Mr. Vijay Seth, Indian Micro,
Small Industry and Handicrafts
Association; and Mr. Bhupesh
Sharma, Technical Officer
Shriram Institute, New Delhi.

To conclude:

Earlier on the day, Mr. Sunil D
Sharma, Secretary General of
ISSME welcomed the audience
and talked about the focus of
ISSME. In his message Secretary
General mentioned about
initiatives and technology
package offers and technology
support provided by ISSME to
informal sector enterprises and
MSMEs. Mr. Siddhartha Mishra,
introduced ISSME to the
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
18
Elegant Kurtis

participants. Mr. Mishra
presented objectives, vision and
mission of ISSME as well
activities and a brief report.

Deliberations at this round table
workshop, as expected, helped
develop a deeper understanding,
knowledge and consensus with
regard to way forward and
strategies to be adopted in
empowering informal sector
enterprises, as they move ahead
with global market realities.
Informal sector enterprise
associations, NGOs, Industry
associations decided to work
together in achieving the goals
and in empowering informal
sector. They promised to share
information, resources and work
together in achieving the goals.

ISSME is thankful to the
Supporters of the event: Mystic
Mountain Camps Pvt. Ltd.,
Elegant Kurtis, Store Next Door
and Keramic Inc.
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
19
Annexure A

Note on Informal Sector Enterprises:
Definitions and Some Information

The organised sector comprises enterprises for which the
statistics are available from the budget documents or reports
etc.(Ministry of Labour, GOI) On the other hand the informal
sector or unorganised sector refers to all unincorporated private
enterprises owned by individuals or households engaged in the
sale and production of goods and services operated on a
proprietary or partnership basis and with less than ten total
workers. (NCEUS, 2007).

The Central Statistical Organisation uses the term organised
enterprise as small units with ten or more workers with power or
20 or more workers without power for the manufacturing sector.
(NCEUS, 2007)

An enterprise is unregistered when it is not registered under
specific forms of national legislation (e.g. factories' or
commercial acts, tax or social security laws, professional groups'
regulatory acts). ( ILO, 2012)

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Issuing of a trade license or business permit under local
regulations does not qualify as registration.

An enterprise is considered small when its size in terms of
employment is below a specific threshold (e.g. five persons
engaged) to be determined according to national circumstances.
( ILO 2012)

Most of the informal sector enterprises do not maintain business
accounts. And they do not pay taxes; has limited access to
formal credit.

In 1972, the term informal sector was first used by the
International Labour Organisation (ILO) to denote a wide range
of small and unregistered economic activities. Since then, the
term has been debated much for want of a universally acceptable
definition. In the Fifteenth International Conference of Labour
Statisticians (15th ICLS) held in 1993 at Geneva, the Labour
Statisticians discussed various issues relating to the concept and
definition of informal sector and took a resolution concerning
statistics of employment in the informal sector. Later, the
System of National Accounts (SNA 1993) recommended by the
United Nations also endorsed this resolution with regard to the
concept of informal sector.( ILO, 2012)
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
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Operational definitions: For statistical purposes, the
informal sector is regarded as a group of production units which,
according to the definitions and classifications provided in the
United Nations System of National Accounts (Rev. 4), form part
of the household sector as household enterprises or,
equivalently, unincorporated enterprises owned by households.

(NSC 2012)
Definition as per National Commission for Enterprises in
the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS)

Informal Sector: The unorganized sector consists of all
unincorporated private enterprises owned by individuals or
households engaged in the sale and production of goods and
services operated on a proprietary or partnership basis and with
less than ten total workers. ( NCEUS, 2007)

Informal worker/employment: Unorganized workers consist
of those working in the unorganized sector or households,
excluding regular workers with social security benefits provided by
the employers and the workers in the formal sector without any
employment and social security benefits provided by the
employers. ( NCEUS, 2012)
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

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Informal economy: The informal sector and its workers plus the
informal workers in the formal sector constitute the informal
economy (NCEUS, 2012)

Data and information on Informal Sector Enterprises

The registered factory sector in India representing the organized
manufacturing sector is covered annually through the Annual
Survey of Industries (ASI)

The ASI covers all enterprises in the manufacturing sector
registered under Sections 2m (i) and 2m (ii) of the Factories Act
1948, i.e., enterprises employing 10 or more workers using
power, and those employing 20 or more workers without using
power. The units not covered under the ASI are treated as part of
the unorganized sector with respect to manufacturing activities

Surveys of unorganized manufacturing enterprises are
conducted once in 5 years to meet the data gaps from this sector
especially for national accounts purposes to estimate their
contribution to GDP through indirect methods, using the
benchmark-indicator procedure.

Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
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The share of unorganized manufacturing sector in the net
domestic product (NDP) of the manufacturing sector was 37.5%
in 19992000, which came down to 32.6% in 20072008 (CSO
2009)

The NSSO classifies informal enterprises into three types:

(i) own-account manufacturing enterprises (OAME) are
enterprises run by household labor, i.e., with no hired
labor;
(ii) nondirectory manufacturing enterprises (NDME) have less
than six workers with at least one hired worker; and
(iii) directory manufacturing enterprises (DME) are enterprises
with six or more workers and at least one hired worker.

Household enterprise, where a single family owns and manages
the firm, as well as provides the labour, is the predominant type
of firm in the informal manufacturing sector, and make products
as diverse as coir mats, fireworks, furniture and garments

There has been new dynamism of the informal economy in
terms of output, employment and earnings. Faster and inclusive
growth needs special attention to informal economy. Sustaining
high levels of growth are also intertwined with improving
Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
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PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
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domestic demand of those engaged in informal economy, and
addressing the needs of the sector in terms of credit, skills,
technology, marketing and infrastructure.

The terms unorganized and informal sectors are often used
interchangeably. The informal sector may be broadly
characterized as consisting of units engaged in the production of
goods or services with the primary objective of generating
employment and incomes to the persons concerned (15 ICLS,
ILO, 1993). These units typically operate at a low level of
organization, with little or no division between labour and
capital as factors of production and on a small scale. Labour
relations - where they exist - are based mostly on casual
employment, kinship or personal and social relations rather than
contractual arrangements with formal guarantees.

Proceedings - Round Table Discussion on
Empowering Informal Sector Enterprises for Global
Market Outreach: Challenges and Way Forward
YWCA Conference Hall-1, Ashoka Road, Connaught Place,
New Delhi-01: November12, 2013

Organised by:
International Society for Small and Medium Enterprises (ISSME)
PO Box 4354, Kalkaji HPO, New Delhi 110019, India
Switchboard: +91-11-29993844; Central Fax: +91-11-29993845
Email: info@issme.org; Website: www.issme.org
25
References

1. ILO (2012)Statistical update on employment in the informal economy , ILO -
Department of Statistics, June 2012 <
http://laborsta.ilo.org/informal_economy_E.html >
2. NCEUS. (2007). Report on Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the
Unorganised Sector. New Delhi: National Commission for Enterprises in the
Unorganized Sector.
3. NSC (2012)Report of the Committee on Unorganised Sector Statistics, National
Statistical Commission Government of India, February 2012
4. NSSO, National Sample Survey Organisation (2001, 2009): Results of 55th and 61st
round surveys on employment and unemployment
5. NSSO 67
th
Round:
6. Papola, T.S. (1981), Urban informal sector in a developing economy, Vikas
Publishing House, New Delhi.
7. Unni, Jeemol and Murthy, S.V.R. (2005), Review of Current Definitions of the
Unorganised and Informal Sector in India: Suggestions for Consistent Definition,
NCEUS.
8. UN (1993), System of National Accounts, United Nations.
9. Central Statistical Organisation/India: Expert Group on Informal Sector Statistics
(Delhi Group), Reports of various meetings
10. Resolution concerning statistics of employment in the informal sector, adopted by the
Fifteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians (January 1993)<
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/--
stat/documents/normativeinstrument/wcms_087484.pdf>
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