The State Government is in talks with leading online retailers for marketing of MSME (micro, small and medium enterprise) products internationally. The Government has also sought the assistance of the Mumbai-based World Trade Centre (WTC) to assist local businesses to foray online into global markets and help enhance Odisha’s competitiveness. This would facilitate wider market exposure for the products.
The MSME Department has launched a MSME Bazaar web portal which would be linked with online retail platforms for displaying and selling products like plastic items, paints, enamels, stabilisers, food products and animal feeds being manufactured in the State. A department official said the local industries are manufacturing top quality products that can match global standards. All that the local entrepreneurs need is a better marketing push that would also generate employment and fetch good revenue for the State.
He said the association with the online retailers will bridge missing linkages like market intelligence and market access and help local entrepreneurs in getting remunerative prices for their products. Odisha has about 1.5 million MSME enterprises employing 3.3 million people. Odisha, which is among the top 10 States in generating employment through this sector, has registered a 32-per cent growth against the national average of 28 per cent. The rate of employment growth has been 29 per cent against the national average of 26 per cent. The MSME sector contributes 40 per cent to the State’s exports.