Jaipur, June 28 -- Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Saturday unveiled a slew of incentives for micro, small and medium industries (MSMEs) in the state to mark International MSME Day, including the development of handicraft haats in four cities, financial support for 25 startups, lower investment thresholds for semiconductor manufacturing projects and enhanced training incentives for women and workers in the electronics sector. Sharma also distributed cheques, subsidies and land allotment letters worth over Rs.13 crore to beneficiaries under various Industry and Commerce Department schemes. He launched the Rajasthan Industrial Development Policy, the ODOP Coffee Table Book and the RAMP (Rising and Accelerating MSME Performance) Portal at the state-level event held at the Constitution Club in Jaipur. "Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of Rajasthan's economy, employment generation and self-reliance," said Sharma at the event. He added that the state government was committed to encouraging entrepreneurship, promoting local products in global markets and transforming Rajasthan into a leading industrial destination. The chief minister said Rajasthan was now the fourth-largest MSME state in the country, with over 3.3 million registered MSME units. He credited the government's industry-friendly policies, the Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit and the efforts of entrepreneurs with strengthening the state's investment climate. To encourage investments in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, the government reduced the minimum investment threshold under RIPS-2024 to Rs.15 crore for selected component categories, said Sharma. The government has also allowed investments under the Centre's Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) to be made in five phases instead of the existing three. In another incentive, the monthly skill development support for women and differently-abled workers in the electronics and semiconductor sector has been increased from Rs.4,000 to Rs.6,000. Among the key announcements, Sharma said handicraft haats for products made by artisans, weavers and micro enterprises will be developed on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. In the first phase, the haats will be established in Pushkar, Nathdwara, Jaisalmer and Alwar to improve market access for traditional products, he added. The government also announced financial assistance under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme for processing units linked to plant species identified under the Panch Gaurav Yojana. To promote startups, financial assistance will be extended to 25 new ventures this year through the Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund, announced the chief minister. Sharma said the government had allotted more than 1,600 industrial plots across the state in the past year under the Direct Allotment Policy-2025. He added that the approval period for setting up industries was reduced from 120 days to 30 days, while the approval timeline for land-use conversion for MSME units in urban areas was cut from 60 days to 30 days. The list of white-category non-polluting industries was expanded from 104 to 877, reducing regulatory hurdles for thousands of MSMEs. Sharma said the government was developing future-oriented industrial infrastructure, including solar panel manufacturing parks, ceramic parks, data centre parks and defence manufacturing parks. He also urged young entrepreneurs to establish value-addition and processing units based on local agricultural produce and become job creators. Union industry and commerce minister Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the government was creating an industry-friendly environment through policy reforms and infrastructure development. "33 new industrial areas have already received financial and administrative approval," he added. Minister of State for Industry and Commerce K.K. Vishnoi said the government is accelerating growth in MSMEs, skill development and industrialisation through innovation, effective governance and policy support. Entrepreneurs Hitesh Agarwal, Shashikant Agarwal, Dr Ashwini Bagadia and Abhishek interacted with the chief minister and shared their experiences with the state's industrial promotion initiatives at the event....