38,477 MSMEs in Odisha led by women: MSME Secretary

Bhubaneswar: There are 38,477 MSMEs in Odisha led by women, which constitutes 12.3 percent of the total MSMEs in Odisha. The number of women led MSMEs in Odisha is higher than the national average, stated LN Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME during the 3rd Seminar on the “Development of MSMEs with Focus on Women & ST/SC Entrepreneurs/Startups” held on Thursday on the sidelines of Odisha International MSME Trade Fair, 2018.

28,835 (9 percent) MSMEs are owned by persons of SC Category and 18,800 (6 percent) MSMEs are owned by ST Category, he added. Odisha MSME Policy, 2016 offers additional incentive of 5 percent to MSMEs promoted by women and ST/SC Entrepreneurs, Odisha Food Processing Policy offers 8 percent additional incentive to the women and ST/SC entrepreneurs, over and above what is available to the entrepreneurs of general category.

He further stated that under the Stand up ‘India Programme’ each branch of a bank is required to provide composite loan between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore to at least one woman entrepreneur and one SC or ST entrepreneur for setting up a green field enterprise.

Delivering his keynote address, Prafulla Samal, Minister, MSME, W&CD, SSE&PD stated that State government is taking all necessary steps to empower women in the state socially and economically. He stated that through Mission Shakti and other programmes of MSME and Industries Department, necessary facilitation is being made available to women to set up their own enterprises.

Ravindra Nath, CMD, NSIC, New Delhi informed that with creation of National ST/SC hub with effect from August 18, 2016, various special incentives have been extended to ST/SC entrepreneurs in procurement by CPSUs.

In order to bridge the awareness gap about the scheme, NSIC has already organized 20 SC/ST conclaves during the current year and the next one will be organized in Odisha shortly.

He also offered to set up Incubation Centres for entrepreneurship development in the state, provided the state government provides necessary building infrastructure. He added that NSIC will bring plant and machinery required for incubation support to the budding entrepreneurs under the ASPIRE scheme. He also invited the group of entrepreneurs from Odisha to visit their Incubator and Advance Learning Centre at New Delhi.

Sanjeev Chopra, Principal Secretary, Industries spoke on the steps taken by government for ‘Ease of Doing Business’. He called upon the MSMEs including women entrepreneurs to use the online platforms like GO SWIFT, Go Smile and APPA. He also informed that IDCO has more than 50,000 acres of land available under its land bank for the entrepreneurs intending to set up industry in Odisha.

Smt. Jagyaseni Jena, Secretary, Govinda Dhupakathi Cluster, Govindpur, Dhenkanal while narrating her story, stated that how she had overcome the difficulties and has been able to organize self-employment to more than 400 women in manufacturing of incense sticks.

Another participant, Mrs. Jayashree Mohanty, Co-Founder & President, Luminous Infoways shared her story of becoming successful IT Entrepreneur and software exporter starting from a rented house with employment to 2 persons to now 532 persons.

Kartikeswar Sethi, shared his story of how he started his printing business with a paltry sum of Rs.750/-, which has now reached to a turnover of one crore.

Among others, Smt. Archana Pattnaik, MD, Odisha Medical Corporation Ltd., Smt. Rashima Misra, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Milk Mantra, Bhubaneswar, BN Mishra, President, OYEA and PK Jena, MD, OSFC, Shri S.K. Sahoo, MSME-DI, Government of India, Cuttack also spoke on the occasion.