To cater to the needs of the small enterprises in the country and to enable the SME sector to face the challenges of globalisation, the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) has launched Small Industry Cluster Development Programme. In this context, it was felt necessary to constitute a national level resource centre to promote cluster development in the country to pace the operations of small enterprises. The National Resource Centre for Cluster Development (NRCD) came into existence in January 2004, at ni-msme with the active support of the Development Commissioner (SSI), Government of India. NRCD has executed three phases of training for 20 cluster development executives of SIDO and provided handholding and monitoring services during implementation. The centre also organised training programmes on cluster development for the officials of various state governments, support institutions, directors of SISIs, bank officials, NGOs, SFURTI officials. It had also organised training programme on cluster development for the officials sponsored by other countries. In addition, it is directly involved in implementation of cluster development initiatives in Crochet Lace cluster, Narsapur. At present, it is also implementing cluster development initiatives in two handloom clusters at Barabanki and Mubarakpur in UP. The centre also has undertaken diagnostic study in 10 handicraft clusters sponsored by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts). NRCD has been selected as the Technical Agency for 21 clusters of KVIC under SFURTI, 7 clusters in handicrafts, as the implementing agency in 3 handicrafts clusters; and as the mentoring agency in the 2nd phase SIDO cluster development programme in 134 clusters. The NRCD brings out a quarterly Newsletter (SSI Cluster News) and has published two volumes: viz. 1) SME Cluster Development A Training Manual, 2) Interventionary Instruments for Cluster Development A Handbook.