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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to address over 12,000 traders at the Byabasayi Sammelan 2025' here on December 17, in a major outreach to the state's MSME-driven trading community ahead of next year's assembly elections. A business meet is also scheduled for December 18 to facilitate interactions with industry representatives, as the usual two-day international business summit is not being held this year in view of the upcoming polls. The Byabasayi Sammelan 2025' assumes significance as the state government seeks to consolidate support from all quarters, including small businesses, in the run-up to the 2026 assembly elections. The Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations (CWBTA) president Sushil Poddar said the event, where Banerjee will be the chief guest, would provide a platform for the CM to connect with thousands of small traders, who form the backbone of Bengal's supply chain. Traders create livelihood opportunities for more than one crore peopl
Odisha has emerged as the most attractive state in India for micro, small, and medium enterprises, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said here on Sunday. Addressing the valedictory function of the Odisha Industry Conclave-2025, Majhi said his government is committed to making the dreams of four and a half crore people of Odisha a reality. Since the BJP came to power in 2024, the government has taken several steps to promote industrial development in Odisha, he said. Under our 'Go Swift Single Window' system, projects are being approved not in months but in a single day. This year, 6.1 per cent of our state's GDP has been invested in infrastructure, which is the highest in India, he said. Noting that the 'Laghu Udyog Bharati' has a significant role to play in the journey of industrialisation in the state, he said the efforts of this institution in supporting more than 980 industrial units, creating employment, facilitating entrepreneurs and contributing to the goal of a self-reliant
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India are facing structural challenges like limited access to formal credit, which is impairing their productivity, but their digital readiness remains a bright spot, a Deloitte India report said on Wednesday. MSMEs in India contribute nearly 30 per cent to GDP, and account for 45 per cent of exports and provide livelihoods to over 240 million people. The study shows that despite exhibiting a significantly higher degree of digital readiness than OECD peers, Indian MSMEs operate at just 18 per cent of large-enterprise productivity compared with 45-70 per cent in OECD economies. This gap limits their competitiveness compared to global counterparts. Deloitte India Economist Rumki Majumdar said India's MSME space is marred by several structural and persistent challenges, including limited access to formal credit, outdated technology, regulatory complexity and infrastructure bottlenecks. The credit gap is estimated at Rs 30 lakh crore or a