UP signs MoU with eBay to provide global marketing platform for MSMEs

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday joined hands with e-commerce major eBay to provide a global marketing platform for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in the state.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Lucknow in the presence of UP Chief Minister Adityanath, who also facilitated online loan disbursement of about Rs 2,447 crore to more than 98,000 new MSME units and startups.

Addressing a virtual conference in this regard, Adityanath said his government was steadfastly working towards making the state self reliant and exploring all such possibilities. He listed providing employment to people among the top priorities of his dispensation.

On the occasion, the CM also virtually launched several other sectoral schemes pertaining to the 'one district, one product' (ODOP) marketing promotion, skill development, training of backward sections, scheduled castes etc.

In February 2018, the state government had signed an MoU with e-commerce major Amazon to promote ‘UP Khadi’ on the online marketplace, apart from the training and handholding entrepreneurs. The state is now looking to firm up similar alliances with other companies as well, including Flipkart.

Meanwhile, the CM unveiled 19 common facility centres (CFC) under different state and central government programmes aimed at providing impetus to the MSME sector and encouraging exports.

Referring to the central economic package to overcome the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Adityanath said it would provide the much needed support to MSME entrepreneurs and handhold units.

“The state government is successfully running the ODOP scheme for reviving the traditional industries and crafts and to develop industrial clusters for speeding up the socio-economic growth of the state,” he noted.

On May 14, 2020, more than Rs 2,000 crore were distributed online as loans to about 57,000 MSME units. Collectively, nearly Rs 8,950 crore has so far been disbursed to more than 200,000 MSME entities in the state during the current financial year 2020-21.