1st International Trade Fair in January
The newly-created Micro Small Medium Enterprise (MSME) Department of Odisha Government will organise the first international trade fair from January 1 to 5 in Bhubaneswar.
Announcing this at a media conference, MSME Minister Damodar Rout said over 200 medium, small and micro enterprises from Odisha and outside would participate in this exhibition, the first of its kind in the state. The exhibition aims to promote marketing capabilities and competitiveness. The international participants are from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Besides 20 major plants and 15 banks would open their stalls in the exhibition, he said.
“The proposed trade fair will be a one- stop shop where one can have access to the entire gamut of products and technology,†Rout said adding, this will enhance the marketing capabilities and competitiveness of MSMEs.
About 20 mother plants, 15 major commercial banks and 200 micro, small and medium industries have expressed their interest to participate in the trade fair by opening their stalls. The presence of financial institutions will be helpful in guiding the MSMEs in solving their credit requirement problems, he said.
Railways, Defence, Communication ministries and large companies in and outside the state have been invited to participate in the buyer-seller meet.
“We have made the fair a five-day event in the first year and will make it an annual affair in January for 15 days from next year,” Rout said. He said the exhibition would witness live demo of different small and micro industries products.
Chief Secretary BK Patnaik has written to his counterparts of other states, Secretaries of some ministries and select embassies to motivate buyers to attend the international trade fair and explore the Odisha market.
The Director, Export Promotion and Marketing, is the nodal agency to coordinate the trade fair with support from the Director of Industries, Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) and National Small Industries Corporation. The event will be an annual feature.
