Speaking at a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Orissa, recently in Bhubaneswar, state industries secretary Saurabh Garg emphasised on the need for promoting MSMEs in the state. On the same occasion, Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik said that Plant Level Consultative Committee (PLCC) meetings should be organised more frequently in the state so as to promote the growth of MSMEs in the state.

“The Orissa government should focus more on helping the numerous cottage industries in the state and upgrade their infrastructure. Also, the government needs to persuade large firms to help MSMEs in skill development,” said Rajshree Bedamatta, owner of Sree Sukta Facades, a small-sized unit in Bhubaneswar which manufactures and exports local handicrafts.

Incidentally, in an endeavour to help local MSMEs meet their infrastructure requirements, the state government had reserved 20% area in all industrial estates for MSMEs in April this year.

According to GK Dash, owner BT International, a small-sized unit in Bhubaneswar which exports coal and construction materials, “Buyer-seller meets or even PLCC meetings are not very well promoted in our city. Small players like us mostly learn about such events after they are over so we do not get to participate in them.”

With the Orissa government stressing on the need for vendor development in the MSME sector in the state, small local players might be in for a development drive soon.

Sreemita Bhattacharya