Ahmedabad, Jan 10 (KNN) Gujarat Government is all set to take digital route to help sick MSME units in the state by developing a website where they can catalogue themselves up for sale, apart from just hand-holding initiatives.

As per Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), the state government is planning to develop a website, where these sick units can put them up for sale.

It is like a 'business for sale' kind of a website. MSMEs can pay a fee to the agency that would be responsible for maintenance of the website. The project is likely to take off in the next couple of months.

Besides, the state has also organized the eight edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit which is likely to witness the signing of over 16,000 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) by the micro-small and medium enterprises (MSME), it has the highest number of sick MSMEs after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra in the county.

According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) figures in 2016 alone, around 42,500 MSME units were reported sick in the state. This comes next to Uttar Pradesh (95,989 units) and Maharashtra (52,576 units). The figures were shared in the Lok Sabha during the winter session of the Parliament.

The Vibrant Summit, however, has been drawing MSMEs in huge numbers, who are at least expressing intentions to invest in Gujarat. Of the total 21,300 MoUs signed in Vibrant Summit of 2015, around 17,000 were by MSMEs.

Government has decided to take this step as the number of sick units has been growing. As per RBI figures, from 20,452 units in 2013, this number rose to 48,000 units in 2014, and peaked at 49,003 units in 2015. (KNN/RAS)