OVERVIEW

India’s MSME sector is undergoing a structural shift—from informal, owner-driven enterprises to increasingly system-led, data-enabled businesses. Accelerated formalisation through GST, digital payments, e-invoicing and platform-based commerce has expanded visibility, compliance and access to markets, while exposing MSMEs to new pressures around productivity, cost efficiency, sustainability and global competitiveness. Today, MSMEs account for around one-third of India’s GDP and nearly half of merchandise exports, but their next phase of growth will be determined less by scale and more by execution capability -- how effectively they adopt technology, manage cash flows, meet rising compliance standards, and integrate into domestic and global value chains amid trade volatility and cost inflation.

Against this backdrop, the conference brings together policymakers, industry leaders, MSMEs and ecosystem enablers to examine how Indian MSMEs can build capacity for the next decade of growth. The agenda spans MSMEs in the age of AI-led productivity, focusing on practical adoption of embedded AI across finance, operations and decision-making; building last-mile capacity, where the real challenge lies in translating policy, credit and digital infrastructure into on-ground outcomes; and sustainability as a cost, compliance and competitiveness imperative. The discussions will also highlight the role of MSMEs as engines of Atmanirbhar Bharat, scaling domestic manufacturing, reducing import dependence and strengthening supply-chain and export readiness.