District Industries Centre – Schemes, Eligibility Criteria

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business in your district? Do you want to know how the government can help you set up and run your small or medium enterprise? If yes, then you should read this blog till the end. 

Here, we will tell you everything you need to know about the DIC, a central sector scheme that aims to promote and develop small, village, and cottage industries in different districts of India.

What is the DIC?

DIC full form in entrepreneurship is the District Industries Centre. It is a scheme launched by the central government in 1978. It aims to provide all the necessary support and services to entrepreneurs who want to set up micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in their districts. The Department of Commerce and Industry in each state establishes DICs. A General Manager at the Joint Director level leads them. The General Manager receives assistance from various managers responsible for different aspects of industrial development, including handloom, credit, economic investigation, and more.

The primary role of DIC in entrepreneurship development is to identify suitable schemes for industrial development, prepare feasibility reports, arrange facilities for procuring machinery and equipment, provide credit facilities, offer training and guidance, facilitate registration and licensing, and resolve any difficulties the entrepreneurs face. It also promotes the registration and development of industrial cooperatives and self-help groups.

Functions of DICs

As discussed previously, DIC corporations perform a wide range of activities to help entrepreneurs set up and run their MSMEs. Here is the in-depth information is Some of the major activities are:

Registration of MSMEs

DIC office issues provisional and permanent registration certificates to MSMEs under the MSMED Act, 2006. The registration helps MSMEs avail of various government benefits and incentives, such as subsidies, tax exemptions, priority sector lending, etc.

Implementation of schemes

DIC corporation implements various central and state government schemes for MSMEs, such as the Cluster Development Programme (CDP) and Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS). These schemes provide financial assistance, technical support, infrastructure development, and quality improvement to MSMEs.

Promotion of industries

DICs promote industries in rural and backward areas by identifying potential sectors, conducting surveys, organising awareness camps, and facilitating linkages with banks and other institutions. They also encourage entrepreneurship among women, youth, SC/ST/OBCs, minorities, physically challenged persons, etc., by providing special schemes and incentives.

Training and skill development

DICs conduct various training programmes and workshops for entrepreneurs and workers in MSMEs. They also collaborate with other agencies, such as the Industrial Training Institute (ITIs), the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), and the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), to provide skill development courses and certification.

Marketing assistance

DICs provide marketing assistance to MSMEs by organising exhibitions, trade fairs, and buyer-seller meets. They also help MSMEs to participate in government procurement programmes, such as Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), etc. 

What are the schemes under the District Industries Centre?

Several schemes fall under the ambit of DIC. These schemes are either centrally sponsored or centrally funded and aim to provide financial assistance, subsidies, incentives, training, and marketing support to entrepreneurs from various categories and sectors. Here is the DIC scheme list:

• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) 

This centrally sponsored scheme was launched in 2008 by merging two earlier schemes, namely the Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) and the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP). 

This scheme aims to create job opportunities by setting up micro-enterprises in rural and urban regions. This scheme offers credit-linked subsidies that vary from 15% to 35% of the project’s cost, depending on the beneficiary’s category and the project’s location. 

The maximum project cost allowed under this scheme is Rs. 25 lakh for the manufacturing sector and Rs. 10 lakh for the service sector. Its implementation is through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industries Centres (DICs) in rural areas and through KVIC, KVIBs and banks in urban areas.

• SEED Scheme
  This initiative supports self-employed individuals participating in self-employment programs and specialized wage jobs. The program provides financing of ₹25 lakhs. For ventures with up to Rs 10 lakhs, there is a 15% seed money support. A bank loan can cover 75% of project costs, with a maximum aid of Rs 3.75 lakhs for all SC/ST/OBC applicants. In total, this scheme offers 20% support to boost entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities.
• District Awards Scheme
  This scheme uplifts the spirits of new and successful companies by distributing district-level prizes to some of the best performers. Each year, the District Advisory Committee selects outstanding businesses and celebrates them on Vishwakarma Jayanti, a special day of recognition.
• Entrepreneurship Development Training Program
  This scheme trains potential and existing entrepreneurs on various aspects of entrepreneurship, such as project identification, feasibility study, market survey, financial management, and quality control. Experts from various fields and institutions conduct the training, such as MSME Development Institutes, Small Industries Service Institutes, and the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development.
  The duration of the training varies from 15 days to 6 months, depending on the nature and level of the program.
• DIC Loan Scheme:
  The program covers cities and rural areas with populations under 1,00,000 and capital investments of less than Rs 2 lakhs. It helps self-employed individuals and small businesses in rural areas. The Small Industries Board and Village Industries identify similar businesses and support them in securing an MSME loan.

What are the eligibility criteria for District Industries Centre schemes?

The eligibility criteria for DIC schemes vary depending on the nature and objective of each scheme. However, some of the common eligibility criteria are:

• The applicant should be an Indian citizen and should have attained the age of 18 years.
• The applicant should have the required educational qualifications, technical skills and experience for the proposed project.
• The applicant should not be a defaulter of any bank or financial institution.
• The applicant should not have availed of any other subsidy or benefit under any other scheme for the same project.
• The applicant should have a viable project report and should be able to contribute the required margin money and collateral security (if applicable) for the project.

How to apply for District Industries Centre schemes?

The application process for DIC registration also varies depending on the nature and objective of each scheme. However, some of the common steps involved in applying for DIC schemes are:

• Visit the nearest DIC office or the website of the concerned scheme and obtain the application form and other relevant details.
• Fill up the application form and attach the vital documents such as identity proof, address proof, caste certificate (if applicable), educational certificates, project report, and bank account details.
• Submit the application form along with the documents to the DIC office or online through the portal of the concerned scheme.
• The DIC office or the nodal agency will scrutinise the application and conduct a preliminary project appraisal.
• The DIC office or the nodal agency will forward the eligible applications to the banks or financial institutions to sanction loans and subsidies (if applicable).
• The banks or financial institutions will conduct a detailed appraisal of the project and sanction the loan and subsidy (if applicable) per their norms and procedures.
• The banks or financial institutions will disburse the business loan and subsidy (if applicable) after obtaining the necessary documents, such as agreement, security, etc.
• Utilise the loan and subsidy (if applicable) for setting up and running the project per the scheme’s terms and conditions.

How do I contact District Industries Centres?

If you want to avail the services and facilities the DIC office offers, you can contact them through their official websites or visit their offices in person. You can also call them on their helpline numbers or email them your queries.

You can find the list of DIC offices in India and their contact details on the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises website. You can also search for your nearest DIC by entering your state and district name on the website.

District Industries Centres in different states 

State	Number of DIC Offices	Districts with DIC Offices
Jammu & Kashmir	20	Doda, Budgam, Jammu, Anantnag, Kathua, Rajouri, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Ramban, Doda, Srinagar, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian, Kupwara, Poonch, Kishtwar, and Bandipora
Himachal Pradesh	7	Solan, Nahan, Dharamshala, Hamirpur, Kullu, Shimla, and Bilaspur
Ladhak	2	Leh and Kargil
Uttrakhand	13	Tehri, Rudraprayag, Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Haldwani, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Udhamsingh Nagar, Roorkee, Gopeshwar, Champawat, Almora, and Kotdwar
Punjab	18	Batala, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bathinda, Mandi Gobindgarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Mohali, Ferozepur, Malerkotla, Nawansharh, Kapurthala, Moga, Mukatsar, and Chandigarh
Uttar Pradesh	11	Lucknow, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Sultanpur, Bulandshahr, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, and Gaziabad
Haryana	21	Ambala, Jind, Gurgaon, Karnal, Kaithal, Bhiwani, Bahadurgarh, Faridabad, Mewat, Fatehabad, Panchkula, Palwal, Sirsa, Hisar, Panipat, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Narnaul, Rohtak, Rewari, and Sonepat
Bihar	38	Aurangabad, Araria, Banka, Arwal, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Begusarai, Bhojpur, East Champaran, Jamui, Darbhanga, Gaya, Jehanabad, Gopalganj, Kaimur, Kishanganj, Madhubani, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Madhepura, Munger, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Rohtas, Patna, Purnea, Saharsa, Saran, Samastipur, Sheohar, Siwan, Sheikhpura, Sitamarhi, Vaishali, Supaul, and West Champaran
Jharkhand	20	Dhanbad, Deogarh, Hazaribagh, Jamtara, Latehar, Chaibasa, Saraikhela Kharsawan, Lohardaga, Simdega, Godda, Giridih, Koderma, Khunti, Garhwa, Ramgarh, Pakur, Bokaro, Ranchi, Gumla, Sahebganj, Palamu, and Jamshedpur.
Rajasthan	36	Bundi, Jaipur, Barmer, Nagaur, Jodhpur, Dausa, Pali, Bharatpur, Jhalawar, Sawai Madhopur, Sikar, Pratapgarh, Jisalmer, Bhilwara, Jalore, Udaipur, Churu, Sirohi, Alwar, Tonk, Baran, Dungarpur, Rajsamand, Jhunjhunu, Sri Ganganagar, Karauli, Hanumangarh, Kota, Ajmer, Dholpur, Bikaner, and Banswara.
Madhya Pradesh	14	Gwalior, Umaria, Neemuch, Bhopal, Khandwa, Shajapur, Panna, Ujjain, Katni, Raisen, Indore, Kawardha, Jabalpur,and Paraswar.
West Bengal	10	Purulia, Howrah, Nadia, Malda, Dakshin Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, South 24 Paraganas District, Paschim Medinipur, Uttar Dinajpur, and Cooch Behar.
Odisha	31	Rayagadh, Bhubaneshwar, Keonjhar, Puri, Bolangir, Sambalpur, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Baragarh, Cuttack, Sundargarh, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Gajapati, Deogarh, Kalahandi, Jharasguda, Angul, Malkangiri, Rourkela, Nawarangpur, Subarnapur, Dhenkanal, Naupada, Koraput, Phulbani, Balasore, Boudh.
Gujarat	32	Narmada, Bharuch, Mehsana, Junagarh, Chotta Udaipur, Kheda, Surat, Navsari, Devbhumi Dwarka, Panchmahal, Patan, Tapi, Valsad, Morbi, Porbandar, Vadodara, Amreli, Surendranagar, Jamnagar, Botad, Anand, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Dahod, Ahemdabad, Gandhinagar, Kuchch-Bhuj, Gir Somnath, Banaskantha, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Bhavnagar.
Maharashtra	33	Dhule, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Nandurbar, Nagpur, Osmanabad, Yavatmal, Nashik, Kolhapur, Hingoli, Sindhudurg, Washim, Nanded, Beed, Gondiya, Satara, Jalgaon, Latur, Buldhana, Parbhani, Amravati, Thane, Akola, Wardha, Ahmadnagar, Solapur, Aurangabad, Jalana, Gadchiroli, Ratnagiri, Pune, Raigadh.
Andhra Pradesh	13	Prakasam, Kadappa, East Godavari, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Anantapur, Chittoor, S.P.S.R. Nellore, Kurnool, Guntur, Vizianagaram, West Godavari, Krishna.
Tamil Nadu	32	Madurai, The Nilgiris, Tirupur, Coimbatore, Theni, Perambalur, Sivagangai, Villupuram, Ramanathpuram, Dharmapuri, Puddukottai, Kaanchipuram, Erode, Vellore, Cuddalore, Trichirapalli, Thiruvalur, Salem, Thiruvannamalai, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Virudhanagar, Thiruvarur, Tirunelveli, Karur, Chennai, Ariyalur, Dindigul, Namakkal, Krishngiri.
Karnataka	30	Davangere, Udupi, Bangalore Urban, Chikkamangalur, Haveri, Tumkur, Hassan, Kodagu, Belgaum, Ramanagara, Bidar, Koppal, Yadagir, Bellary, Chitradurga, Kalburgi, Chamarajnagar, Mysore, Bagalkot, D. Kannada, Shimoga, Vijayapura, Kolar, Mandya, Darwad, Raichur, Chikkaballapur, Gadag, Uttara Kannada, Bangalore Rural.
Kerala	14	Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Pallakad, Allapuzha, Wayanad, Edukki, Kasargod, Kannur, Thiruvananthampuram, Mallapuram, Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam.
Sikkim	2	Gangtok and Jorethang
Arunachal Pradesh	16	Tezu, Anjaw, Ziro, Along, Khonsa, Pasighat, Bomdila, Koloriang, Seppa, Anini, Tawang, Daporijo, Yingkiong, Roing, Yupia.
Nagaland	4	Kohima, Chozuba, Dimapur, Wokha
Assam	19	Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Gauripur, Kamroop, Dhemaji, Guwahati, Tinsukia, Haflong, Kokrajhar, Rangauti, Jorhat, Karimganj, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Chanbarikhuti, Rajagaon, Barnagaon, Diphu.
Manipur	9	Thoubal, Imphal West, Senapati, Chandel, Bishnupur, Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Imphal East, and Ukhrul
Mizoram	8	Serchhip, Mamit, Kolasib, Lunglei, Saiha, Aizawl, Lawn Tak, and Champhai
Meghalaya	8	South Jaintia Hills District, East Garo Hills District, West Khasi Hills District, West Garo Hills District, Ri Bhoi District, West Jaintia Hills District, South Garo Hills District, and East Khasi Hills District.
Tripura	8	South Tripura, Dhalai, Gomti, North Tripura, Khowai, Unakoti, West Tripura, and Spahijala

Activities Under District Industries Centres (DICs)

• Allotment of sheds to Electronic Industrial Estates
• License clearance via single window meeting
• Organises motivational campaigns
• Distributes project profiles among business owners
• Assistance to small-scale industries through subsidies
• Help businesses market their products and provide raw material assistance through SIDCO or Small Industries Development Corporation.
• Conducts industrial cooperative societies
• Helps businesses engaged in handicrafts or cottage and SSI units in their registration
• Organises training sessions for entrepreneur development

Conclusion

District Industries Centre (DIC) is a government scheme to support and boost small and cottage industries across India. DIC corporation offers various schemes and benefits for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start MSMEs in their districts. These centres also aid in job creation, competitiveness, empowerment, and economic growth. To explore the DIC scheme list, visit their office or website. In case you wish to explore various loans for business, visit FlexiLoans.

FAQs

Q.1. When was the DIC programme launched? 

Ans: The DIC programme was launched by the central government in 1978.

Q.2. What does the District Industries Centre do besides its main functions?

Ans: The District Industries Centre performs several additional functions. This includes arranging loans, conducting training courses, assisting in the acquisition of machinery and equipment, conducting surveys, and promoting rural artisans.

Q.3. What is the government’s maximum financial support for recurring establishments?

Ans: For recurring establishments, the maximum funding is up to 70% of the actual total expenditure, with a maximum limit of Rs. 3.75 lakh.

Q.4. What interest rate applies to DIC loans?

Ans: The rate of interest varies depending on the chosen scheme, typically ranging from 4% to 10%.

Q.5. How long is the repayment duration for a DIC loan?

Ans: The maximum repayment tenure is up to 10 years.

Q.6. What is the range of the promoter’s contribution for a DIC loan?

Ans: The promoter can contribute between 2% to 10%, but the percentage varies based on the chosen scheme.

Q.7. How do I register as an MSME under DIC? 

Ans: To register as an MSME under DIC, you need to fill out an online application form on the Udyam Registration Portal and upload the required documents.

Q.8. How do I check the status of Udyam Registration and download the certificate?

Ans: To check the status of Udyam Registration, you need to visit the Udyam Registration Portal and enter your Udyam Registration Number or reference number. To download the certificate, you need to click on the ‘Print’ option after verifying your details.

Q.9. How can one contact the DIC in their district?

Ans: You can contact the DIC in their district by visiting their office or website. The contact details of all the DICs in India can be found on the website of the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Q.10. What other schemes are offered under the DIC programme? 

Ans: Some other popular schemes under this scheme are: 

• Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE)
• Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS)
• Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS)
• National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP)