West Bengal Government said that the MSME (Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises) is one of the sectors in the state which has done particularly well.

There are about 50,850 MSME units in the State, employing about 5,45,000 people. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee created the Biswa Bangla brand and store chain for promoting products from these units, among others. The brand has been successful in reviving traditional handicfrafts and handloom products, and has made livelihoods possible.

To bring together the units under one roof a series of district-level events called Synergy has been organised, said All India Trinamool Congress.

In these events, owners of such units interact and learn from each other. At these events organised under the Synergy umbrella, various ‘clinics,’ ‘help desks’ and ‘special pavilions’ are set up to provide all possible assistance and guidance to entrepreneurs.

A portal, www.myenterprisewb.in has been created for anyone interested in setting up a micro, small or medium-size business in West Bengal. MSME Facilitation Centres (MFC) help to solve technology-related issues. Unique clearance centres have been set up in many districts to enable quick clearance of projects.

A portal, www.msmebengalinvest.in, connecting entrepreneurs, investors and professional experts for West Bengal, has been set up by the State government in collaboration with IIM Kolkata. In 2015, the government set up an Rs 200 crore fund to seed MSMEs, said AITC.

Beginning September 2013, in partnership with UNESCO, the West Bengal government has set up 26 Rural Craft Hubs in nine districts.

These artisans’ units are also come under the MSME sector. A ‘Shilpa Tirtha’ has been set up in Belur, on 200 acres of land.

Further, “last but not the least, in 2015, a reality show was conceptualised by the West Bengal Government, ‘Egiye Bangla,’ which was a competition where entrepreneurs pitched ideas to get funding from the State government; the show became highly successful,” said AITC.

Source: KNN Bureau