First Biswa Bangla store by December at airport

The store would house handicraft and handloom products of the state

The first retail outlet of the newly created Biswa Bangla brand, whihc is conceptualised and designed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, will be opened in the next three months at the airport.

"We are hopeful to open the first Biswa Bangla store at the airport in the next three months. We have already taken around 1500 sq feet space for it," Micro Small and Medium Enterprises department Secretary Rajiva Sinha told PTI.

The first Biswa Bangla store would house handicraft and handloom products of the state.

Sinha said a final blueprint was expected to be ready to replicate the model in all 171 stores owned by the Handloom department under the MSME ministry.

Biswa Bangla brand stores would house all handicraft products under a single roof to offer a choice rather continuing with single product stores under the brands Tantuja, Manjusha, Resham Shilpi Samabaya, Bangashree, Khadi and Charmaja managed by six government-owned corporations.

The new holding company Biswa Bangla Corporation would manage the marketing of handloom and handicraft products of the state.

The state government wanted private technical expertise for the corporation, but its broad contours were still being debated.

"What will be the structure of the corporation is not yet been freezed. So, we still do not know whether government or private entity will hold majority in this holding marketing company," Sinha said.

Meanwhile, the MSME Synergy, the six-day conclave on MSME was a success where total loan amounting to Rs 422 crore being sanctioned to 1,796 units beside several other achievements, Sinha said.

The government also introduced a new procurement policy of 20% from MSMEs besides exemption of security deposit.