BIRD to conduct more training programmes

Mangaluru: Mangaluru-based Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) plans to offer training in emerging sectors, including cyber security, green banking, insolvency and bankruptcy code to stakeholders.

Addressing reporters the Institute’s joint director K. Lakshminarayanan said that the institute which catersto stakeholders from South Indian States and Maharashtra and Goa, imparted training to around 3,140 professionals from banks, government and NGOs during 2017-18 through 119 programmes. Since its foundation in 1984, the institute has trained over 60,000 stakeholders from across the country.

The institute plans on conducting at least 120 training programmes this fiscal year. They also aim to promote green banking to drive investments in climate-friendly and green projects.

Last year BIRD organized seven training programmes to promote digital banking. This year it has plans to digitize bank accounts of 23 lakh of self-help groups across the country.

Joint Director Lakshminarayanan says BIRD is focusing on alleviating the standard of living of farmers since over 85 % of them are small and marginal and are vulnerable to exposure to multiple risks.

NABARD and the Union government are promoting establishment of farmer producer companies or farmer producer organisations and helping them by providing access to technologies, credit and market.

BIRD conducted three programmes for CEOs of the said farmer producer organisations and banks for value chain financing of farmer producer organizations.

NABARD and BIRD are actively working towards plans to attracting youth to agriculture by making it attractive.

BIRD organised a round-table conference last year in this regard and suggestions were sent to the government to take further action at the national level.

This year’s programmes would cover micro finance and livelihoods; financial inclusion and financial literacy; project finance, augmenting investment credit for capital formation in agriculture.

BIRD would also focus on climate change, data analytics, forensic accounting and auditing. The institute would also graduate to the quality standards of ISO 9001:2015 from ISO 9001:2008.