The Naveen Patnaik administration appointed Satyabrat Sahu (IAS:1991:OR) as Principal Secretary of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Department; a sector which has gathered much importance in the backdrop of COVID-19.

MSME, be it Centre or the state, has a mammoth task ahead to rejuvenate the economy, employment and liquidity at the ground level. It may be underlined that the MSME sector has gathered importance so much so that PM Modi himself picked his most trusted lieutenant A K Sharma (IAS:1988:GJ) as Union Secretary for MSME.

The latest order issued by Patnaik administration on June 30 also stated that the previous order assigning the additional charge of the department to Hemant Sharma (IAS) would stand terminated after Sahu would take over the charge. Sahu recently returned to parent cadre after completing his tenure under Central Deputation.