Kuala Lumpur: The disbursement of funds under the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (TEKUN) aimed at empowering Indian entrepreneurs will be closely monitored to ensure effective implementation and delivery. This statement was made by Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, who emphasized the government's commitment to enhancing the economic empowerment agenda for the Indian community.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the MADANI government has made a substantial commitment with the largest-ever allocation of RM100 million through the Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme (SPUMI) under TEKUN Nasional since its inception in 2007. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister, has allocated RM30 million in Budget 2025 through TEKUN Nasional to support Indian entrepreneurs, supplemented by an additional RM70 million from TEKUN Nasional's internal funds. This funding aims to benefit over 5,000 Indian entrepreneurs across the nation.

Ramanan, in a Facebook post, emphasized the collaborative efforts between his ministry and TEKUN Nasional's leadership to ensure the smooth execution of this initiative. He described the allocation as a strategic effort by the MADANI government to bolster the business advancement of Indian entrepreneurs.

Highlighting the achievements of SPUMI, Ramanan noted that since its launch in 2007, the scheme has supported 26,804 Indian entrepreneurs with RM500 million in funding. In 2024 alone, RM58.9 million was disbursed to 2,408 Indian entrepreneurs through SPUMI, and an additional RM12.6 million was allocated to 287 entrepreneurs under the "SPUMI Goes Big" initiative, introduced in April 2024.

Furthermore, Ramanan reaffirmed the MADANI government's dedication to introducing new initiatives to benefit the Indian community, with strong backing from the Prime Minister and Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, Datuk Ewon Benedick.