New Delhi, July 5 (KNN) Exports from Uttar Pradesh from the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector has registered a growth of almost 6% during 2017-18.

It was revealed by UP Khadi, MSME and Export Promotion Minister Satyadev Pachauri.

MSME exports which stood at about Rs 840 billion during 2016-17 has touched Rs 840 billion during 2017-18.

To further boost the MSME sector, Yogi Adityanath Government is planning to organize a mega Summit later this month to promote One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. The objective of this scheme is to foster states’ traditional industries.

With regard to this summit, Chief Minister Adityanath is likely to meet MSME entrepreneurs on July 10 ahead of ODOP Summit, which follows UP Investors Summit 2018 held on 21-22 February, wherein the state government had netted investment proposals worth Rs 4.68 trillion.

Giving the priority to the MSME sector which contributes 60% of its industrial output, employs 40 million people and generates direct economic activity worth Rs 1.2 trillion annually, Pachurai said that the ODOP Summit would promote the state MSMEs through a high pitch branding and marketing.

He said that the government had launched this scheme is to prop up ‘Maki in Up’ on the lines of ‘Make in India’.

Further, he opined that the state’s MSME future depended heavily upon the success of ODOP and warned officials against laxity in pushing the agenda forward.

UP's textile manufacturers would also organize an expo in Mumbai in near future to showcase their products, he added.

Recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with Bangladeshi entrepreneurs would pave the way for exporting industrial and other products to the neighboring countries, he claimed.

Meanwhile, the government plans to establish ODOP clusters at 10 districts viz. Ambedkar Nagar, Etawah, Gautam Budh Nagar, Hapur, Barabanki, Agra, Kanpur City, Kanpur Dehat, Hamirpur and Fatehpur, state MSME secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar informed.

To promote the concept of ODOP, earlier the state had also launched dedicated ODOP website www.odop.in, which is expected to nurture traditional industries and create jobs, besides arresting migration of youth to bigger urban centres and metros.

UP is uniquely famous for product specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts viz. Varanasi (Banarasisilk sari), Bhadohi (carpet), Lucknow (chikan), Kanpur (leather goods), Agra (leather footwear), Aligarh (lock), Moradabad (brassware), Meerut (sports goods), Saharanpur (wooden products) etc. The website also showcases such authentic merchandises.