Cuttack, Nov. 6: Concerns were raised over lack of marketing facilities for micro, small and medium enterprises on the inaugural day of Enterprise Odisha, a national-level vendor development programme cum industrial exhibition, here today.
Despite being one of the catalysts for the overall economic development and progress of the country, many entrepreneurs of various micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) are facing hurdles in raising capital, repayment of loans and marketing their commodities.
Addressing the conference, state industries and excise minister Niranjan Pujari said efforts would soon be initiated to bridge the gap between small and large enterprises in the state.
“At present, there are over 10 lakh MSMEs and 243 large-scale industries in Odisha. The state government will soon create a platform to address the problems faced by the MSMEs. We will plan an interaction between large and micro, small and med ium scale industries by December or January next year,” said Pujari.
Over 150 small and medium enterprises and 30 public sector undertakings, including National Aluminium Company Limited, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, National Thermal Power Corporation, East Coast Railway, Tata Steel, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and State Bank of India are participating in the event.
The programme is being organised jointly by the Union ministry of MSME, the MSME department of the government of Odisha and the Odisha Industries Association.
Director of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Institute, Cuttack, Alok Ray said stress was being given on innovative entrepreneurial ideas that could be crucial to usher in a change in the existing scenario.
“We have come up with an innovation centre where new ideas and concepts of the entrepreneurs can be nurtured,” said Ray.
A new procurement policy by government of India for MSME has already been implemented from April, 2012.
According to the policy, central and other public sectors will have to achieve an annual procurement target of 20 per cent by purchasing products and services of various MSMEs.
