FM Sitharaman tells Arunachal govt to adopt cluster development approach

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday advised the Arunachal Pradesh government to adopt the cluster development approach as a key strategy for enhancing productivity and competitiveness as well as capacity building of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the state.

Addressing a credit outreach programme organised by the State Bank of India here, she said that Arunachal Pradesh does not have even a single cluster announced by the MSME ministry till date.

"I request Chief Minister Pema Khandu to take up cluster development approach of the 20 GI-identified products in the state. In small places such clusters could be declared by the ministry and Small Industrial Development Bank of India (SIDBI) could be roped in to finance such enterprises," the Finance minister said.

A cluster is a group of enterprises located within an identifiable and as far as practicable, contiguous area and producing same and similar products and services.

The MSME ministry has adopted the clust