Adityanath disburses loans worth Rs 1.32 lakh cr for MSMEs on Vishwakarma Jayanti

Lucknow, Sep 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday disbursed loans worth Rs 1.32 lakh crore for the MSME sector on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti.

Highlighting the sector, the chief minister said, "Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of MSMEs in the country - 96 lakh units. About two crore people are directly employed in this sector, while three crore are engaged in agriculture. That is why we launched ODOP on January 24, 2018, on the state's foundation day. I am happy it has now become a model for the entire nation". Inaugurating the two-day Vishwakarma Expo-2025 on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti, Adityanath disbursed loans worth Rs 1.32 lakh crore for the MSME sector, distributed toolkits to 12,000 artisans under the Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana and appointment letters to 111 junior assistants.

He stressed that India’s development goal is linked with Uttar Pradesh’s progress.

"Today, we are talking about a developed India. The Prime Minister has given us a target for 2047. It is clear that a developed India will be possible only when Uttar Pradesh develops. A developed UP will mean developed districts, and that will come from self-reliant towns and villages," Adityanath pointed out. Referring to the call to make India a developed nation by 2047, the chief minister said, "Many people might wonder whether this is possible. But I say, yes. It is possible. It is possible for us Indians because 300 years ago India was a developed country, contributing over 25 per cent to the world economy and was the number one economy of the world".

He also underlined that India’s prosperity then was not solely dependent on agriculture.

"Our farmers made India prosperous with their hard work, but that was not the only reason. We also had industrial systems, clusters and enterprises that contributed significantly," he said.

Adityanath recalled that soon after taking charge in 2017, his government identified traditional industries as the backbone of Uttar Pradesh’s economy.

"We realised that our traditional enterprises were the lifeline and strength of the state. That is why we branded them under ODOP and promoted them," he said. PTI ABN BAL BAL