NABARD INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Abstract

NABARD, being an apex Development Bank, facilitates credit flow for promotion and development of agriculture, small-scale industries, cottage and village industries, handicrafts and other rural crafts. So NABARD and RRBs have been playing a catalyst role for the development of rural areas. These two are committed to promoting rural development. The first one i.e. NABARD has effectively brought in a number of innovations in the rural credit domains. These schemes/programmes/policies have helped develop rural economy. Sustainable economic growth is the mantra of our governments development policy. It cannot be gainsaid that development and transformation of rural economy needs rapid expansion of employment and income opportunities. It is possible if rural economy is developed through economic betterment of people as well as greater social transformation. The policies and programmes undertaken by our government are designed with the aim of alleviation of rural poverty, which has been one of the primary objectives of planned development in India. In this backdrop, an attempt has been made in this paper to understand the various policies/programmes/schemes undertaken by NABARD for rural entrepreneurship development.