Srinagar, Aug 1 (KNN) Upgradation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is need of the hour to cope with the growing developments of industrial sector, said K Skandan, Advisor to Governor, Jammu & Kashmir.

Speaking at the 89th Board of Directors (BoD) meet of Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (SICOP), he urged J&K SICOP to upgrade its existing infrastructure like establishing Common Facility Centres (CFCs) at Industrial Estates.

SICOP would be a nodal agency to provide facilities to the small-scale industries so that they can prosper their businesses, he added.

SICOP management has formulated DPR through J&K Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organization (J&K ITCO) for up-gradation and acquiring the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation as per Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for Testing Centre Gangyal Jammu.

Business plan for Financial Year 2019-20 and new innovative measures like modernization of testing centre, appointment of J&K SICOP as Bitumen Business Development Associate of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) and Land Bank for identification of state land suitable for industrial purposes were also discussed in the meeting.

Discussions were made expand business and match quality of industrial products at national level, the Material Testing labs of SICOP need to be upgraded and accredited with NABL and should also be registered with BIS in the meeting.

State Industrial Policy-2016 envisages attracting an investment of Rs 20,000 crore in the industrial sector over a period of 10 years.

The Advisor was informed about the demand of the identification of additional industrial items for purchase from Small Scale Industrial (SSI) Units through SICOP, in the meeting.

The meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, Arun Kumar Mehta, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department, Navin K. Choudhary, Managing Director, SICOP, Atul Sharma, Director, Industries & Commerce Department, Jammu Anoo Malhotra, Director, Industries & Commerce Department, Kashmir, Mahmood Ahmad Shah, representatives of MSME, Government of India, President, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad, President, Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir, Muhammad Ashraf Mir and other concerned officials.