Technology Center Systems Project (TCSP)

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The objective of the Technology Center Systems Program Project for India is to enhance the productivity of Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise, or MSMEs by improving their access to technology and business advisory services as well as skilled workers through systems of financially sustainable Technology Centers (TCs). There are three components to the project, the first component being technical assistance to the existing and new technology centers. The TCs and their private sector clients will benefit, for the duration of the program, from the technical assistance of world class firms that will provide superior technology related inputs with respect to the technological and business needs. These two streams of technical assistance will run in parallel and inform each other under the guidance of industry specific joint working groups comprising the main industry leaders and representatives. The second component is the investments to develop new and upgrade existing technology centers. Finally, the third component is the technical assistance to the MSME Ministry for Program implementation and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). The M&E system will include, in particular, independent surveys of customers and stakeholders (including potential private competitors to the TCs) to assess the transformative impact of the program, as well as to ensure there is no significant crowding-out of the private sector. Such surveys will be designed and launched during the first year of program implementation.