Odisha plans to set up 38,000 MSME units

Announcing plans to set up 38,000 MSME units providing about one lakh jobs in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that industrialisation must be participatory and it should ensure inclusive growth of all sections of the society.

"It is proposed to take up new initiatives for growth of MSME sector. These include steps to set up 38,000 MSME units with employment of about one lakh persons," Patnaik said at the launch of 12th Entrepreneurs' Week which commemorates the Birth Centenary of legendary Biju Patnaik. It is also proposed to take initiative for the development of 10 food parks in the state for the growth of food processing sector, he said adding there would be five food processing corridors covering potential districts.

Similarly, ten livelihood business incubators in the potential districts would be set up for development of livelihood by way of gradation and use of local skill, while five new village industries clusters would be developed by Odisha Khadi and Village Industries Board, Patnaik said. Maintaining that economic development of a state goes hand in hand with industrial development, the chief minister said MSMEs were important players of industrialisation which propeled the growth of economy and pace of development.

Listing initiatives taken by the government to promote MSMEs, Patnaik said while MSME Development Policy 2009 was unveiled, Odisha Food Processing Policy 2013, Odisha Procurement Preferential Policy 2015 and Export Policy 2015 were created to encourage innovation. Industrial Policy Resolution 2015 was launched with a plethora of incentives to attract investment, while state government had introduced online facilities to provide basic infrastructure support like land, power and water, he said.

"It is my firm belief that the process of industrialisation must be participatory and transparent and it must foster inclusive growth of all sections. I hope that this collaborative effort will ultimately rekindle our heritage of entrepreneurship," Patnaik said.