MSMEs set to play key role in job creation

Hans India

3 hours ago

Vijayawada: Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are pivotal for employment generation in Andhra Pradesh, with various government departments coordinating efforts to impart skills and create job opportunities across the state, said State 20-Point Programme chairman Lanka Dinakar.
He, along with Society for Employment Generation and Enterprise Development in Andhra Pradesh (SEEDAP) chairman Deepak Reddy and AP MSME Development Corporation T Siva Shankar.
Dinakar said that the coalition government has attracted investments worth Rs 9.3 lakh crore in its first year. He added that the state government aims to provide job opportunities to 20 lakh unemployed youth over the next five years. He emphasised that the government is shifting from an 'Ease of Doing Business' model to a 'Speed of Business' approach, ensuring quicker implementation and better synergy across departments to create jobs.
A review meeting was held at the Secretariat with chairpersons and officials from MSME, SEEDAP, and the planning department. The discussion focused on strategies to generate employment through skill training, particularly in underdeveloped districts.
Dinakar also stated that MSMEs play a vital role in achieving 'Viksit AP' (developed Andhra Pradesh) and 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India). He announced that a proposal would be submitted to the Chief Minister to restructure and further strengthen MSMEs. MSME Development CAorporation chairman Siva Shankar elaborated on comprehensive measures being taken to establish MSME parks across Andhra Pradesh. He stressed the need to restructure the MSME department for better policy implementation and to appoint an additional commissioner to oversee these initiatives.
Sankar also highlighted the crucial role of MSMEs in transforming backward districts like Alluri Sitarama Raju and Parvathipuram Manyam by providing skill-based employment to local youth. CEEDAP chairman Deepak Reddy outlined his organisation's efforts to provide industry-aligned training and facilitate buyback financing for trained candidates. As part of the 'Swarnandhra 2047 Vision,' CEEDAP aims to empower youth with skills and create extensive employment avenues.
Reddy announced plans to establish business and entrepreneurial units in rural areas, allowing local youth to find employment within their communities. He stated that 40 such business units have already been identified, with a target to scale this up to 300 in the next six months. Additionally, efforts are underway to introduce 10 more central government schemes in the state.
He further informed that CEEDAP currently trains 16,000 unemployed youth every three months and has set a goal to train more than 60,000 candidates this year. Currently, 103 training centres are operating under CEEDAP, with plans to add 200–250 new centres in various colleges by next year.