About Us

Established in June 2005, Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC) is a non-government, not-for-profit registered Trust, conceived at the suggestion of the Ministry of SSI, Govt. of India. Thereafter, it was established in the year 2005 by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI), Ahmedabad with technical support from the UNIDO Cluster Development Programme in India. The Foundation is steered by a Board of Trustees under the Chairmanship of Prof. Y.K.Alagh and operationally headed by an Executive Director. FMC has its Head Office in New Delhi and Regional Offices in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Kolkata and Hyderabad.

The Foundation strives towards :

  • Making Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) cluster initiatives inclusive.

  • Preparing cutting edge policies, methodologies, tools, information and resources.

  • Promoting effective linkages between clusters and important thematic institutions in the areas of finance, infrastructure, environment, investment, R&D, social responsibility and local governance.

  • Making available trained and competent professionals and institutions to facilitate cluster-based development.

  • Preparing models of strong community based civil society organisations to take up sustainable cluster based development initiatives.
All these are targeted towards creating an economically progressive, socially connected, environmentally sustainable and spiritually rooted world composed of interconnected yet diverse local socio-economic systems.

The Foundation has prepared more than 10 documents of which have been published :

  • 'Making Clusters Work - UNIDO Methodology'.

  • 'Working Together Works - Cluster Case Studies'.

  • 'Getting to Know Clusters - Frequently Asked Questions'.

  • Policy and Status Paper on Cluster Development in India.

  • Cluster Development and Poverty Alleviation.

  • Pro Poor Cluster Development Methodology.

  • Micro-Enterprise Development A Demand Side Perspective.

  • Responsible Banking: Special focus on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

  • Analysis of Factors for Employment in MSME Clusters.

  • Promoting Innovation in Clusters.

These publications provide an insight to policy makers and practitioners about relevance of clusters, cluster development and its working methodology.

The FMC specializes in promoting MSMEs in clusters by creating cutting edge methodologies and tools, providing appropriate linkages and creating enabled institutions. The FMC is doing/completed several projects in the areas of Policy and Methodology for cluster development, cluster mapping, BDS mapping, creation of M&E framework for BDS implementation, BDS evaluation and impact analysis, providing marketing BDS and technical advisory services to MSME clusters, training cluster development agents (CDAs) and technical advisors (TAs) - who manage several CDAs, cluster benchmark studies, promoting innovation in clusters, policy advocacy through organization of national workshops on clusters and publications on cluster development policy, strategy, methodology, tools, etc. Some of the FMC clients include GTZ, Iran Small Industries and Industrial Park Organization (ISIPO), IFC (SEDF), SDC, UNIDO, UNDP, Ministry of MSME, State Governments of West Bengal, Kerala, Orissa, SIDBI, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Coir Board, NMCC, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), NINC etc.