Odisha MSME International Fair-2014 kicks off

Reported by Santosh Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Jan 1:

To encourage entrepreneurship and boost the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the State, the State department of MSME in association with National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) has organised a week- long Odisha MSME International Trade Fair-2014 in the city.

The fair will continue till January 7 this month.

Gracing the inaugural ceremony at IDCO exhibition ground here, State Governor S C Jamir congratulated the MSME department for organising such a mega event and said the committed efforts by the department in erecting around 250 stalls comprising big and small industries will further help them for the sustained development of this important segment of teh state’s economy.

This exhibition would greatly help the entrepreneurs in promoting, marketing, and publicise their products , organisers said.

Jamir said such events act as a platform for all the potential buyers where they have an access to entire range of products and technologies. MSME contributes greatly to the growth of our country’s economy in providing industrial progress to entrepreneurship and from job creation to economic empowerment, he added

The Governor further said, “Our effort is to promote growth and development of State’s MSME globally, including khadi, village and coir industries, in co-operation with all stakeholders by providing support to existing enterprises and encouraging creation of new enterprises.”

In Odisha, there are about 1.5 million MSMEs providing employment to about 3.3 million people. And about 74 per cent of them are located in rural areas, sources said.

The MSME sector has the capacity to generate economic activity in rural areas, by using raw materials, local skills and providing people employment close to where they live, said Joint Secretary of MSME Department, Government of India S N Tripathy.

Rourkela Steel Plant, Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd., Nalco, Hindusthan Aeronautics Ltd. Paradip Port Trust, Tata Steel, IOCL, Essar Mining and many more are also participating in this international trade fair.

Apart from this, more than forty renowned equipment manufacturing companies and more than 16 nationalized and other private banks have also pitched their tent at the seven-day fair.

Seven information centres are in place at the fair where entrepreneurs can gather information on various aspects like funding, setting up industries and marketing.

The organisers said, delegates from countries like Republic of Malawi, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi have also been invited to participate in the International trade fair.

Shri Panchanan Dash, Secretary, MSME, Government of Odisha and Shri P Udaya Kumar, Director, NSIC Ltd.  Among others present on the occasion were Shri N Palai, Director of Industries, Govt. of Odisha, Shri B K Das, Director, EP & M, Govt. of Odisha, Shri Arbinda Agarwal, MD, OSIC Ltd. and Shri P C Nayak, Dy. Zonal General Manager, NSIC Ltd were among the prominent guests at the ianugural session on Wednesday.