Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, urged the micro, small and medium entrepreneurs of the state not to compromise quality of their products, stressing the state government’s commitment to giving them priority in government purchases at all costs.

In his address during the Udyami Mahasammelan organised by the Indian Industries Association at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, the chief minister said, “The MSME sector of Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the biggest strength of self-reliant India. We have done remarkable work towards getting rid of ‘Inspector raj’ by strengthening technology.”

He added: “The results of our efforts to eradicate ‘Inspector raj’ by bolstering technology are evident today. The whole world is looking towards Uttar Pradesh with confidence. We should start preparing for the International Trade Show-2024 now.”

The chief minister also visited the exhibition related to Transforming MSME Towards Industry 4.0 and Skill 48, in which MSME startup entrepreneurs from across the state showcased their products.

Welcoming the organisers and entrepreneurs in the state capital, the chief minister noted the challenges that entrepreneurs faced in Uttar Pradesh prior to 2017 due to a lack of a conducive environment as well as lack of government encouragement and support.

“After our government came to power in the state in 2017, the result of the scheme for promoting our traditional products as One District, One Product is in front of all of us. Not only the country, even the world considers it an innovative project,” he said.

Encouraging entrepreneurs to prioritise product quality and packaging in today’s competitive landscape, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath further said that by strengthening the technology, programmes to get rid of ‘Inspector raj’ had been run.

Discussing initiatives like the Nivesh Mitra Portal, Nivesh Sarathi Portal and Online Incentive Platform, Chief Minister Yogi underscored their remarkable contributions to enhancing investment possibilities and streamlining facilities for entrepreneurs within the state.

“UP’s ranking in ease of doing business was at 14th place six years ago. Extensive reforms were made to this. The result is in front of everyone,” he stated.

The chief minister said that whether it was the work of creating a land bank within the state or establishing better law and order, remarkable work had been done on every front.

“Investment proposals totaling Rs 40 lakh crore were received through the Global Investors Summit held in February 2023. The International Trade Show held in Greater Noida in September was also very successful. Over 70,000 buyers had come to the show while the total footprint was four lakh. More than 400 foreign buyers also visited the show. This showcased the remarkable potential of the new Uttar Pradesh of New India,” he pointed out.

The chief minister said that the whole world was looking towards India and UP with a sense of credibility. “While it took 46 years to develop Noida and Greater Noida, we are currently working rapidly towards a new industrial setup in Jhansi, Bundelkhand. In Jhansi, we already have about 38,000 acres of land bank in the first phase. For the first time in 46 years, under our government, the international airport in Greater Noida is ready, whereas in Jhansi we are going to provide an airport in the first phase.”

Addressing the entrepreneurs, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath encouraged the utilisation of local educational institutions for acquiring manpower. “For this, take the help of the PM and CM Internship Scheme,” he added.

The chief minister emphasised the importance of organising trade shows across every part of the state and urged entrepreneurs to harness solar power as a sustainable and pollution-free source of electricity.

On this occasion, UP’s MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan, Chief Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary (MSME) Amit Mohan Prasad, IIA national president of Neeraj Singhal, senior vice-president Dinesh Goyal, general secretary Alok Aggarwal, and president of Udyami Mahasammelan were present. A large number of MSME entrepreneurs from across the state, including coordinator Rajeev Bansal also attended the programme.