Kolkata 14th October, 2022: The flag-off ceremony of the MSME Yatra in Kolkata is being graced by the glorious presence of Chief Guest Smt. Chandrima Bhattacharya, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance (IC), Health & Family Welfare, Land & Reforms, Refugee & Rehabilitation, Govt. W.B., Guest of Honour Shri Vinit Kumar, Immediate Past Chairman, Kolkata Port Trust , CA Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, Central Council Member, ICAI, CA Sushil Kumar Goyal, Central Council Member, ICAI, CA Ravi Kumar Patwa, Chairman, EIRC. While praising this MSME yatra of ICAI for 75 days in 75 cities of the country, the Hon’ble Minister said that the West Bengal Govt will be cooperative towards this MSME initiative of ICAI in all respects.
CA (Dr.) Debashis Mitra, President, ICAI said that MSME is near to our heart. The MSME yatra bus will move from state to state and from city to city for 75 days. He said that the presence of the Hon’ble Minister in this auspicious occasion will boost us to move forward with MSME. The Chief Guest Smt. Chandrima Bhattacharya, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance (IC), Health & Family Welfare, Land & Reforms, Refugee & Rehabilitation, Govt. W.B said during her address that the it is the duty of Chartered accountants to support the MSME sector. 7 lacs registration from West Bengal have been made already. The Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal is always supporting the MSME sector and 95% of the industry in WB is from MSME sector. She said that this MSME yatra of ICAI would bring the awareness to the entire country. During her concluding remark she congratulated ICAI for its forthcoming ceremony of World Congress of Accountants to be held in Mumbai in November, 2022.
MSME sector has emerged as a highly vibrant and dynamic sector of the Indian economy as MSMEs play a very crucial role in providing employment opportunities with a much lower capital investment in comparison to large scale industries thus enabling industrialisation in rural and backward areas, assuring an equitable distribution of national income & wealth hence promoting socio-economic development.
The MSME Yatra, an initiative of the ICAI was flagged of on August 18, 2022 by Shri Narayan Rane, Hon’ble Union Minister of MSME in Mumbai. The programme aims to coordinate, synergize and leverage the various elements of excellence driving innovation and entrepreneurship & wishes to facilitate the creation of ideas and inventions that benefit MSMEs.
ICAI has organised an MSME YATRA pan India basis covering 75 cities in 75 days to empower and assist MSME growth by supporting them in terms of capacity building. Eastern India Regional Council of the ICAI had been part of this ICAI MSME Yatra on 14th October 2022, where in its office Helpdesks was opened for MSME respondents manned by officials from SIDBI, NSIC, SBI, DIC, DFO to address to the MSME needs. The Helpdesks had been in operation from 10.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
50 organizations from different Chambers of Commerce, Trade associations as well as Federations has taken part in the programme
Employees deputed in the MSME vehicle during its travel within the city responded to various queries as raised by the interested lot and leaflets were distributed to them for better understanding and dissemination of important information with regard to the developments in the MSME Sector.