Panaji: Calling for decentralised development and policy support for small enterprises, Laghu Udyog Bharati Sampark Adhikari Dr Krishna Gopal and Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra, on Monday, highlighted the role of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in generating rural employment and strengthening India’s economic base.
They were speaking at the Goa MSME Adhiveshan 3.0 held at the Lok Bhavan.
“Decentralised small-scale industries were essential to prevent migration from villages and sustain India’s largely rural population. Unchecked migration had already resulted in around 1,100 villages being abandoned in Uttarakhand, with a similar situation emerging in Himachal Pradesh,” said Gopal, a senior RSS functionary.
He said development must reach villages if migration is to be arrested.
He said Laghu Udyog Bharati, with about 65,000 units and 30–35 lakh associated workers and families, promoted industries that require low capital and low energy and can be established even in remote areas.
Gopal said skill development through Industrial Training Institutes was crucial and suggested strengthening about 500 ITIs to equip rural youth for employment within their own regions.
He said small industries require skilled workers rather than highly specialised technical graduates.
“The central government had dismantled the colonial-era inspector raj to create a more secure environment for entrepreneurs and MSMEs,” said Malhotra, adding that reforms since 2014 had simplified compliance and improved ease of doing business.
“Over 1,500 outdated laws had been repealed and company incorporation was now completed in an average of 1.5 days through faceless processes, with bank accounts, GST, PAN and Udyam registration provided together,” he said, adding that paid-up capital and turnover limits for small companies had been increased, and voluntary closure norms eased.
Referring to infrastructure, Malhotra said 2,000 km of high-speed corridors had generated significant employment, while expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana had improved rural connectivity, and reduced time taken to transport agricultural produce.
“MSMEs account for 7.4 crore units, contributing about 30 per cent to GDP and 46 per cent to exports,” he said.
Malhotra said government support included collateral-free loans, credit cards for micro-enterprises, procurement mandates and restrictions on global tenders to protect domestic firms.
Malhotra said Goa’s pharmaceutical sector accounts for 13 per cent of national exports and urged entrepreneurs to make use of digital platforms and government schemes.
