Agra, Oct 12 (KNN) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday emphasized that the key to employment generation and economic self-sufficiency for households lies in the promotion of small-scale industries, which serve as the cornerstone of the economy.

Speaking at a convention of Laghu Udyog Bharti in Agra, CM Adityanath said that small businesses created more employment in less space while meeting all environmental standards at a lower cost, leading to greater economic self-reliance of families.

“Uttar Pradesh has a long history of being the foundation of small industries, with various industries in different regions,” he said.

Emphasising that the law and order situation was conducive to industrial development, Yogi said that those violating the law in the state would not be spared.

“The Uttar Pradesh government, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, initiated the ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) scheme in 2018 to revive small industries. Over the years, it has yielded significant results. Today, through the ODOP scheme, UP has increased its exports manifold in the past five years. We made a BIMARU state like Uttar Pradesh economically prosperous with the hard work of entrepreneurs,” he said.

The CM further added that in the assembly elections last year, law and order became a significant electoral issue and the people stood with the state government. He advised entrepreneurs that if they want to start or have already established a business and formed partnerships with local institutions, youth could be a valuable workforce for them.

“If you rope in young individuals for training, the government will provide half of their honorarium. This will help in building a team of experienced individuals,” he added.

State president, Laghu Udyog Bharti, Madhusudan Dadu said over 1,500 small entrepreneurs from 60 districts were participating in the convention, reported TOI.  (KNN Bureau)