Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Jitan Ram Manjhi, reviewed ongoing development projects in Auroville on Thursday.During the visit, G. Seetharaman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Auroville Foundation, briefed the Union Minister with a comprehensive overview of Auroville’s vision and its recent progress. He also highlighted the extensive development initiatives undertaken in Auroville.According to a press note, the briefing detailed major milestones within the township, with a special focus on the infrastructure developments at the Matrimandir and the status of the Matrimandir lake project.Mr. Manjhi lauded the community’s self-reliance, noting that Auroville’s sustainable enterprise ecosystem serves as a model for rural and semi-urban MSME clusters across the nation. Earlier, Mr. Manjhi visited Puducherry and reviewed the implementation of flagship schemes of the Ministry of MSME.Chairing a review meeting, he urged banks to facilitate greater access to institutional credit for MSMEs and directed stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of government initiatives for the growth of the sector.The Union Minister also visited the MSME Technology Centre, Puducherry, reviewed the Centre’s training and production facilities and interacted with the trainees. He emphasised that equipping the youth with modern technology-driven skills and making them self-reliant was a key priority of the Ministry.Mr. Manjhi also visited the MSME Testing Station, where he reviewed the testing facilities, quality assurance systems and technical support services available for MSMEs. Published - July 10, 2026 08:47 pm IST