Kolkata, July 7 (IANS): The National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) has targeted skilling up a total of 17,000 people this year as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative of Skill India, an official said.

"This year, our target is to provide training to 4,000 people for regular and longer duration courses and another 13,000 people for shorter duration training," NSIC general manager Suresh Karmali told media persons here.

He said his organisation, under the micro, small, medium enterprises ministry, is promoting entrepreneurship among all sections of the society and is keen to promote self-dependency among the country's skilled workers.

"An entrepreneur not only creates opportunity for himself but provides opportunity for others as well. In the last three months, we have already created 730 micro-small entrepreneurs," he said.

Karmali said an NSIC certification helps the entrepreneurs who have undergone training from the corporation to participate in eligible government tenders without submitting deposit money.

"They only have to pay the earnest money," he said.

The NSIC has recently signed an agreement with Kolkata-based Gargi Memorial Institute of Technology (GMIT) to offer courses at a discounted rate.

"Under the agreement, GMIT will compulsorily send 200 students each year to NSIC for training at a discounted rate of Rs.2,500 for the certification," said the institute's chairman, G.L. Dutta.

The normal fees for the course being offered to GMIT students is Rs. 4,000 excluding taxes.