UP Cabinet Approves Policies To Boost MSME, Leather & Footwear Sectors

Lucknow, Aug 8 (KNN) The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday approved two major policies aimed at enhancing exports, attracting investment, and generating employment in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. 

The policies — the Uttar Pradesh Footwear, Leather and Non-Leather Area Development Policy 2025 and the UP MSME Audyogik Aasthan Prabandhan (Allotment) Policy — were cleared at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna and MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan briefed the media on the decisions, highlighting the state’s focus on industrial growth and job creation.

The footwear, leather and non-leather development policy seeks to increase Uttar Pradesh’s share in exports of leather and non-leather products, promote technology upgradation, support modernisation, and launch training programmes to improve product quality. 

The policy also aims to build a skilled workforce and create employment opportunities, with a target of generating 44 lakh jobs over the next five years, half of them for women. 

Mega leather parks are being developed in Kanpur, Agra, and Unnao, and investment outreach has included delegations to China and Japan.

The MSME allotment policy sets out a structured framework for leasing industrial plots and sheds to the sector. 

Allotments will be conducted via an e-bidding process on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, with reserve prices fixed at Rs 3,000 per square metre in western UP, Rs 2,500 in central UP, and Rs 2,000 in eastern UP and Bundelkhand. 

Rates will be revised annually with a 5 percent increase from April 1. Applicants will need to deposit 10 percent of the plot cost as earnest money, and 10 percent of allotments will be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

(KNN Bureau)