The West Bengal Government has outlined an ambitious roadmap to revive the state’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, with a focus on reopening closed units, improving infrastructure, and creating a more business-friendly environment.
Addressing an interactive session organised by the Merchant’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) recently Ashoke Dinda, Minister of State for MSME and Textiles, said the newly elected government is committed to revitalising the sector, which remains one of the state’s largest employment generators.
“We have a big challenge before the new government. In the last several years, the MSME sector has been languishing in the state. Our aim will be to revitalise the sector,” Dinda said, urging the MCCI to play an active role in the revival process.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, the minister said nearly 8,000 MSME units in West Bengal are currently closed.
“The challenge is to open the closed units,” Dinda said.
Referring to the Centre’s ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative, he said the state government would align its industrial strategy with the vision while implementing measures announced in the recently presented state budget.
“The common refrain of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vocal for local. We shall stress on that. The budget recently made by the West Bengal government recently has talked about how to rebuild the MSME sector by way of setting up clusters and industrial park,” Dinda added.
The minister underscored the importance of infrastructure development, particularly road connectivity, in attracting fresh investments.
“The key to build the MSME sector is developing the road infrastructure,” Dinda said, adding that improved connectivity would encourage both large industries and MSME units to establish operations in the state. He also said the government’s proposed single-window clearance system for industries would become operational soon.
Expressing confidence in the state’s industrial prospects, Dinda said several companies have already shown interest in investing in West Bengal.
“We will take West Bengal to new heights,” he said.
The minister further said the new government would work towards eliminating syndicate practices and extortion, while also initiating efforts to facilitate the return of migrant workers to the state.
Speaking at the event, Shams Tabrez, DGM and Head, SME, State Bank of India, said the government’s policy direction is helping create a conducive environment for MSME growth.
“Since COVID, the state government had come up with many schemes to help the MSMEs. However, the major problem faced by the sector is access to finance,” he said.
Tabrez urged entrepreneurs to register on the Centre’s Udyam portal to avail themselves of benefits, including collateral-free loans of up to Rs 10 crore and interest subvention for exporters.
According to him, West Bengal is home to nearly 90 lakh MSMEs, providing employment to around 1.35 crore people.
Shri Munish Jhajharia, Senior Vice President of MCCI, said the MSME sector continues to play a pivotal role in economic growth and employment generation.
“Today the World MSME day, the sector plays a crucial role in the global economy. The MSMEs are widening their domain across various sectors of the economy,” he said.
He added that the new government has prioritised the MSME sector but stressed the need for broader reforms.
“We need a massive economic overhauling is needed to streamline the business environment with targeted policies,” Jhajharia said.
Sanjib Kothari, Treasurer of MCCI and Chairman, Council on MSMEs, said West Bengal possesses one of the country’s largest MSME ecosystems and should now focus on enhancing productivity and competitiveness.
“West Bengal now stands at a critical juncture. It is home to the second largest MSME eco-system in the country. The focus must shift from sheer volume to value addition and modernisation,” he said.
