WB Group help for Jharkhand entrepreneurs

Ranchi, January 31 (PTI) Struggling entrepreneur groups in Jharkhand would get an opportunity to avail grant up to USD 100,000 to expand their business under a programme launched today by the World Bank Group. Launching the '2013 India Development Marketplace', Sudip Mozumder, Advisor, External Affairs, World Bank, said it is a hundred per cent grant to support enterprises and would be a platform for innovative social enterprises to scale up development solutions. It would also provide better access to health benefits and help increase incomes of low income communities, he said. Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are the other two states where the programme would be rolled out this year, he added. Any NGO taking up livelihood opportunities, especially with a focus on women could apply for grant ranging between USD 50,000 and USD 100,000, besides getting mentoring and capacity building support over a period of 15 months, he said. The World Bank would also help the winners in identifying local partners who would guide them in areas of business planning, financial management and organisational development, according to a release. On the previous launches, organisations dealing with bamboo products, bio-gas electricity, waste resource management and rural kiosks for access to public services had benefitted from World Bank’s programme. PTI PVR KK MR