Chandigarh: Pointing out that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) contribute nearly 25–30% to India’s GDP, Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora on Sunday said the AAP-led govt was focusing on the modernisation and expansion of the MSME sector in the state.Speaking during an MSME session on the concluding day of the Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit in Mohali, Arora said Punjab, which has a strong base of nearly 1.6 lakh MSME units, plans to establish a dedicated agency, MSME Punjab, to transform the sector into a dynamic and globally competitive ecosystem.He said the proposed platform would help improve access to finance, technology, markets and skills, while also promoting cluster-based industrial development in the state.“Punjab will adopt a cluster-based strategy to drive MSME growth, leveraging economies of scale, shared facilities and collective efficiency among co-located enterprises,” Arora said. He added that the state would optimise existing cluster development schemes and introduce its own programme to address gaps and unmet needs.According to the minister, cluster-based interventions will focus on strengthening infrastructure, technology adoption and market readiness of MSMEs through collaboration between govt departments, industry associations and special purpose vehicles (SPVs) formed by cluster members.“The objective is to create a synergistic environment that promotes innovation, cost competitiveness and sustainable industrial growth,” he said.
