The investment proposals worth Rs 35 lakh crore received in the Global Investors Summit (GIS) proved that UP will emerge as the ‘torchbearer’ of the Industrial Revolution 4.O, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Friday.

While addressing an award ceremony as well as toolkit distribution ceremony under Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana at Lok Bhawan, Yogi Adityanath said, “The focal point of UP’s industrial development are the 96 lakh MSME clusters. The time has come when we have to open designing and packaging institutes in the state to take MSME products to a new level.”

He went on to say that along with this, there is a need to link banks with the Vishwakarma Shram Yojana, so that our artisans can get financial help to expand their business.  For this, meetings of artisans associated with Vishwakarma Shram Yojana should be organized with bankers in every district of the state.

Yogi said that along with honoring traditional handicraftsmen and artisans of the state through Vishwakarma Shram Samman, toolkits are being made available across the state.

“Today, ODOP is not only promoting the products of every district of the state, but adding them with new design and technology, is also providing global market for them.  ODOP has become the back bone of the MSME sector of UP.  It has emerged as the foundation of self-reliant India in the whole country,” asserted the CM.

He reiterated that ODOP has brought respect to the handicraftsmen of UP at the global level.  This is the reason that UP has emerged as the hub of exports today.  Before 2017, exports were just Rs 86,000 crores, which have now gone up to Rs 2.5 lakh crores.

The chief minister said that it is the strength of ODOP that UP has emerged as the biggest investment destination today. Undoubtedly, the rule of law is our first priority, it is also necessary for the government to work with good intentions, but along with all this, having a cluster of 96 lakh MSMEs is also the strength of UP.  This MSME itself is going to become the foundation of industrial development of UP.  The Global Investors Summit has decided that UP will lead the fourth industrial revolution.

The chief minister said that today we have honored 51 weavers with the Sant Kabir State Handloom Award.  These weavers are our strength.  In UP, 2.5 to 3 lakh families are associated only with the work of weaving.  The government is soon going to announce freight units for weavers’ looms. We have to increase our strength so that we can connect with good design and good technology.  The government is with you at every step.

He said that today toolkits are being provided to 75,000 artisans associated with Vishwakarma Shram Samman in the entire state. Now, we must connect banks with the artisans associated with Vishwakarma Shram Yojana.  So that our artisans and our laborers can start their business, there should be such a system that they get financial help from the banks.  We have to work for their upliftment by opening export promotion centers in every district.

On the occasion, 12 people were awarded Sant Kabir State Handloom Award, 34 firms were given State Export Award, 20 people were given MSME award, 75,000 artisans were trained under Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana, toolkits were distributed and certificates were distributed.  Toolkits were distributed by the Chief Minister to five people associated with the Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana.