EDII celebrates International MSME Day
Ahmedabad : The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) on Tuesday celebrated the International MSME Day at its campus. The celebration marked the significance of MSMEs in India’s economic growth. It also touched upon issues surrounding the growth and sustainability of MSMEs, and the solutions that could be implemented to address the same.
Shri BM Prajapati, IAS, Additional Industries Commissioner (Extension), Industries Commissionerate, Government of Gujarat, graced the occasion as chief guest. Other distinguished guests at the event included Shri Shailesh Patwari, Former President, GCCI, and Director, Nexus Group of Industries, and Shri Akash Pawar, Deputy General Manager Incharge, SIDBI, Ahmedabad. Shri DM Jadeja, Deputy Commissioner of Industries, MSME Commissionerate, Government of Gujarat, shared information about government initiatives for the growth of the MSME sector.
Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII, in his opening remarks, said, “The entire entrepreneurial movement is being led by MSMEs. The sector’s contribution is enormous. MSMEs help maintain regional balance by addressing the issues of unemployment, poverty, and varied disparities. Industries, policymakers, and institutions have to join hands in erecting a conducive ecosystem for MSME growth. EDII has been working closely with the state and central government towards uplifting the sector and bolstering its growth.”
Shri BM Prajapati, IAS, Additional Industries Commissioner (Extension), Industries Commissionerate, Government of Gujarat, expressed, “There is a lot of scope for interventions in the MSME sector, which is the backbone of our economy. The MSME sector needs to be fortified to solve the problem of unemployment for youths. During COVID, MSMEs suffered the most. So, several areas need to be worked on, to strengthen the sector and restore the faith of our youth in the potential of MSMEs. We have begun a diagnostic study to identify the gaps. Cluster-wise data is mandatory to understand the sector and thus devise the right policies. So, efforts are going in and the results will be heartening.”
Shri Shailesh Patwari, Former President, of GCCI & Director of Nexus Group of Industries, opined, “The need of strengthening the MSME sector is tremendous and a lot of handholding has to be facilitated. A system has to be instituted to ensure that the benefits crafted for MSMEs, reach the sector. Several sectors need to be promoted; for instance, the textile sector depends largely on imports for several items. This sector, therefore, holds a huge potential and must be suitably promoted. So, emphasis needs to be placed on market research, so that MSMEs are promoted in the areas where there is potential.”
Shri Akash Pawar, Deputy General Manager, Incharge SIDBI, Ahmedabad said, “SIDBI was formulated to focus on MSME growth, and with several well-meaning policies, we are seeking to encourage people, especially youth to set up MSMEs. SIDBI has adopted the mode of maximising its outreach by following the objectives of ‘Promotion’, ‘Finance’, and Development of MSMEs.’ I urge all upcoming entrepreneurs to derive benefits from SIDBI’s ambitious and entrepreneur-friendly schemes.”
Shri DM Jadeja, Dy. Commissioner of Industries, MSME Commissionerate, Government of Gujarat, made a presentation focusing on various schemes undertaken by the state government for MSME growth. Shri Jadeja emphasised that amidst widely evolving technologies, the Government’s role becomes all the more significant in ensuring that MSMEs become technologically-oriented and forward-looking, instead of fearing growth and closure.