To facilitate and promote start up eco system in the State, the U’khand Govt launched a start up portal and entrepreneur mentorship programme at the start of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) fortnight here on Tuesday. Opening the programme, the CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said that there is a vast potential for micro and small enterprises in Uttarakhand.
He termed food processing industry, handicrafts, and handlooms as some of the promising sectors. Rawat said that the ghee of Badri cow and honey collected through traditional ways are in great demand and people are ready to pay more for such products. He said that the State Govt is planning to start cultivation of industrial hemp in a big way in the State.
Rawat said that women self help groups are doing appreciable work and the State Government is planning to provide financial assistance to these groups. He informed that the State has given the power to clear projects up to `10 crore to the DM under single window system. He aired happiness at increased sale during recently concluded Handloom Expo. The expo witnessed a sale of ` 5.62 Crore this year, an increase from ` 3.50 Crore of last year.
The Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi advised that the department of industries should set up stalls at tourist spots to promote sale of locally produced goods. He expressed a need to inculcate skill training to the women in rural areas of the State.
The MSME principal secretary Manisha Panwar said that under the mentorship programme launched on the day, the established industrialists would as guide and mentors of new entrepreneurs. Similarly the start up portal is developed to provide all information and help to those interested to set up industries in the state.
The CM honoured many entrepreneurs in sectors of micro industry, handicraft and handloom. Abhishek Mishra of Nainital was given first prize in the field of micro industry while second and third prizes were given to Lalit Mohan Uniyal (Dehradun) and Dilip Singh Khetwal (Bageshwar). In handloom sector, Narvada Devi of Chamoli, Kedar Chandra of Uttarkashi and Prema Devi of Pithoragarh were honoured. While in handicraft sector Suresh Kumar of Pithoragarh was given first prize, Manish Kumar of Bageshwar got second while Bhuwan Chandra Shah of Almora received third prize.
The regional director of (RBI) Subrat Das, director general of Industries Sowjanya, director of Industries Sudhir Nautiyal and large number of industrialists and representatives of banks participated