In order to overcome the Covid-19 headwinds faced by exporters in reaching
out to offshore markets, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to
promote virtual exhibitions (e-exhibitions) during the current fiscal year
2020-21.
Since transnational Covid-19 safety and health protocols are likely to result
in the deferment and postponement of international trade fairs and
exhibitions, the Adityanath government will provide financial aid to
exporters participating in such virtual exhibitions under the flagship Market
Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme.
Besides, the UP Export Promotion Council will also draft a blueprint to
organise similar virtual exhibitions for the benefit of the state’s exporting
firms. UP additional chief secretary (export promotion department)
Navneet Sehgal has already directed officials to prepare an action plan in
this regard.
Presiding over a review meeting in Lucknow last evening, he stressed upon
the urgent need to facilitate easy bank credit to the micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSME) in the state under different schemes,
including the one district one product (ODOP).
The ODOP scheme was launched by the Adityanath government in 2018 to
promote the traditional and indigenous industries and handicrafts by
facilitating state support in terms of setting up of new enterprises, bank
credit and marketing.
The success of the ODOP scheme could be gauged from the fact that UP
attained industrial exports worth nearly Rs 1.14 trillion in 2018-19
compared to only Rs 89,000 crore in 2017-18, thus registering a upsurge of
28 per cent. Since, more than 80 per cent of these exports had emanated
from the MSMEs, it amply indicated the positive impact of the innovative
scheme on the beleaguered MSME sector.
According to estimates, UP is home to nearly nine million MSME units, who
form the industrial backbone of the state. The sector contributes 60 per cent
to UP’s annual industrial output and directly employs 50 million people. Interestingly, the MSME sector also blends with the macro development
plank of the Adityanath regime, while resurrecting the positive image of UP
and repositioning the state as a preferred investment destination in the
league of Indian states.
Meanwhile, chief minister Adityanath today directed officials to expedite
the plan to leverage the provision of Rs 15,000 crore loan component for the
MSME sector in the federal economic package announced by the Centre
earlier this year to beat the challenges posed by the Covid-19 lockdown and
its aftermath.
Besides, the CM directed for creating district level employment portals to
provide jobs to the millions of migrant labourers and workers, who were
forced to return to the state following lockdown in March 2020.
More than 3.5 million migrants returned to UP from states, including
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi, Karnataka, Haryana etc. The state is
also preparing the skills’ database of these workers to assist them in getting
jobs in near future.
Source: The Business Standard, India Thursday, 30 July 2020