Odisha to increase budget for MSMEs next year: CM Naveen Patnaik

BHUBANESWAR: Funds for the MSME department will be substantially increased by Odisha government in the next  State budget. Inaugurating the International MSME Trade Fair-2021 and Entrepreneurship Week through video conference, the Chief Minister said the government will always go the extra mile to help and encourage MSMEs participate and contribute in building a vibrant and globally competitive new resurgent Odisha. 

Stating that the impact of Covid-19 pandemic has been far beyond the public health sector, the Chief Minister said due to restrictions which were required to control the spread of the virus, the economy has been severely affected. “The MSME sector particularly has been affected and it will take a long time to recover fully,” he said and added that the government will continue to engage with the MSMEs and ensure that the Covid impact is minimised. 

“We have been working closely with millions of our micro entrepreneurs in the form of Mission Shakti groups,” he said and expressed his happiness as the trade fair has provided special platform for them to showcase their products. Besides, Odisha is doing well in the Startup landscape for which it has been recognised at the national level as a leader state, he said and added that the Startups are the future of industry.

The Chief Minister announced that to provide better eco-system, the government is constructing a dedicated state-of-the-art incubation centre in Odisha known as O-Hub. This year, the fair is having more than 320 stalls divided into five sections with a capacity of 60 stalls each.