Govt aims to create 5 Cr additional jobs in the MSME sector: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said the government is aiming to create five crore additional jobs in the MSME sector in the next five years.

The Minister for MSME and Road Transport and Highways reiterated that he aims to enhance MSMEs' contribution to the GDP from about 30 percent to 50 percent, and in exports from 49 percent to 60 percent.

The sector presently employs about 11 crore people.

The minister also called for broad basing support for innovations and entrepreneurship so that bonafide new talent also gets the chance to grow.

Gadkari also said risk-taking ability in innovations and finding new solutions need to be promoted, and those making bonafide mistakes in the process need to be protected, the MSME Ministry said in a release.

He also felt that the performance audit of schemes related to agriculture and Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes will help in better targeting of the schemes.

Addressing a virtual meet, Gadkari applauded the Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenge initiative of government think tank NITI Aayog.

He also called for encouraging the use of new technology in finding solutions to the problems being faced in different areas and ensuring value addition.

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He cited the issue of excess rice which can be utilised for producing ethanol, thereby addressing the problem of storage on one hand, and providing green fuel to the country as import replacement on the other.

The minister stressed that country's growth will be further accelerated when the backward and tribal areas, including the 115 aspirational districts are brought on a growth trajectory.

Gadkari also said there is a need to work according to the spirit of the Prime Minister's vision that science should work in solving problems of common people, including those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The objective of Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenges programme is to proactively collaborate with ministries and the associated industries to catalyse research, innovation, and facilitate innovative solutions to sectoral problems.