MSMEs stare at bleak future as Gujarat job engine stalls

The Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) seems to have failed to gain traction in Gujarat, with not a single application from key districts like Surat and Navsari in 2024-25.

- Dilip Singh Kshatriya @Ahmedabad

A sharp 60% decline in applications over five years, coupled with the closure of 7,269 small and medium enterprises, has left over 33,000 people jobless.

In a damning indicator, Gujarat has witnessed a breakdown in the implementation of the PMEGP, particularly in major districts like Surat and Navsari, which recorded zero applications for the scheme in 2024-25. This data was revealed by a Union government reply in the Rajya Sabha to Gujarat MP Narhari Amin, laying bare the state's crumbling employment generation apparatus.