Ahmedabad, Jan 13 (KNN)  As many as 17,081 out of a total of 21,304 MoUs expressing intent to invest in the state, signed during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit pertained to the micro, small and medium enterprise sector, according to a Times of India report.

The move is seen as a boost to manufacturing in the state.  During the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in the previous year, 12,886 MOUs were pledged to the MSME sector.

In addition, there were several agreements for strategic partnership between the state government and several national and international agencies with many committing to invest around Rs 25 lakh crore in the state, the report said.

In response, the state has assured them of measures that have been put in place to ensure ease of doing business, including faster clearances for land, environment, etc.

Further, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel also announced that the state would set up two high-level committees to deal with challenges faced by industries in implementing projects.

The strength of Gujarat’s manufacturing sector lies in its strong base of micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs).

According to official data, Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Bharuch, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Valsadare are the major Multi-Product MSME clusters in the state. Total investment under MSME, between years 2010 -2014, stood at USD 7.7 billion which created employment for 1.39 million.  (KNN Bureau)