Technology for MSMEs: MSME Ministry on Wednesday integrated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to its online grievance resolution portal Champions to get "social media insights relating to MSME", "know the pulse of entire MSME sector without stakeholders going to the portal", "know emotions of people involved with or dependent on MSMEs in real-time" and more, according to a ministry's statement. Launched in June, Champions portal acts as a single-window portal for issues related to MSMEs around finance, raw materials, labour, regulatory permissions etc. particularly due to the Covid impact faced by small businesses. The ministry had tied up with technology company Intel over the past five months to help it implement AI and ML. MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the entire concept and scope analysis and design have been done in-house in the Ministry with the help of NIC and under the guidance of the local team of Intel. The ministry added that "AI has started giving the MSME Ministry social media insights relating to MSMEs for its policy action through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs, Forums and online news which were not available to us on a holistic basis."

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