Centre plans portal to sell MSME products

NEW DELHI:

The Centre is working with State Bank of India to launch an E-portal on the lines of Amazon to facilitate Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises to sell their products, Transport & MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Wednesday.

At present, Amazon.com generates a business of around Rs.70,000 crore annually for Indian MSMEs, which can be enhanced by a dedicated E-Portal to enable them complete with global brands, he said at a webinar organised by All India Association of Industries President Vijay Kalantri.

Stating that the government aims to increase the share of micro, small and medium enterprises sector in total exports from the current 48 percent to 60 percent in the coming years, Gadkari said that this would go a long way in boosting the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On similar lines, the union minister said that the government is making efforts to increase the turnover of the village industry from the current Rs.80,000 crore to Rs.5lakh-crore in next couple of years which will create jobs in rural, agricultural and tribal segments and eradicate poverty, he added.

Gadkari said that in order to protect the interests of micro, small and medium enterprises vendors, the government has mandated public sector undertakings to settle their dues within 45 days of sale and also plan to introduce legislation to this effect.