Shri Kalraj Mishra, took over as the Union Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) here today. Interacting with the media the Minister highlighted the importance of the Ministry of MSME in creating jobs for youth & opportunities for educated unemployed persons in backward regions. He further added that the objective of the Ministry is to make the common man self-dependent. Optimum utilization of human resources and establishing a framework for this purpose is the need of the hour and this Ministry will work towards that goal.

Later the Minister was briefed on the key initiatives and policy frame work of the Ministry by Shri Madhav Lal, Secretary, MSME. Also present on the occasion were Shri Amarendra Sinha, AS&DC, J. S. Mishra, CEO, KVIC, Shri H.P. Kumar, CMD, NSIC, Shri Arun Kumar Jha, Director General, NIESBUD and other senior officials.

Born in 1941 in Ghazipur District of Uttar Pradesh, Kalraj Mishra is a veteran leader of BJP in Uttar Pradesh. He has served as the state chief of the party and was a Cabinet Minister in state government holding the portfolios of Public Works, Medical Education and Tourism during March 1997-August 2000. He has been an MLA for several terms and a member of the Rajya Sabha. He won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Deoria constituency.

Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises policy focus: prioritise job creation and self dependence through an operational framework. Appointment of the Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises signals a policy emphasis on promoting job creation and self dependence for youth and educated unemployed persons, with priority on optimum utilisation of human resources and establishing an operational framework; senior officials briefed the Minister on existing initiatives and the Ministry's policy framework to support employment generation and institutional coordination.