SMEStreet GameChangers Forum Kickstarted With MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari’s Keynote & Shri Arif Mohammad Khan's Special Inaugural Address

SMEStreet Foundation in association with Wadhwani Foundation successfully organized the Inaugural Session of SMEStreet GameChangers Forum on 15th June 2021 using digital platforms. The entire program which is scheduled to run on SMEStreet.in is aimed to connect and influence with over 5 MIllion MSMEs.

Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Nitin Gadkari delivered the keynote speech of SMEStreet GameChangers Forum and made an exclusive announcement that in order to make the life of small business owner easier, the process of MSME Registration is further simplified. The minister announced, “In order to bring simplification in the process of registration of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME Registration), now only PAN and Aadhaar will be required.

Also Read: PIB's Official Statement on Hon'ble MSME Minister's Participation in SMEStreet GameChangers Forum

The Minister added that after getting registered, the MSME unit will be getting priority and finance. He said that there is a need to impart training to small units in fields of entrepreneurship and other related aspects. He assured full support of the MSME Ministry, and also expressed hope that banks and NBFCs will also provide full support to small businesses.

He said, “To boost the economic activities of MSMEs, the Government has announced a special incentive package ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ of 20 lakh crore rupees. It is my pleasure to be part of this forum which is meant for MSME oriented development because this is our priority to give support to MSMEs.”

Earlier on the day, Hon’ble Governor of Kerala Shri Arif Mohammad Khan, the SMEStreet GameChangers Forum delivered a special address for the inaugural session of the forum on the topic of Nation Building By Motivating Entrepreneurs for Economic Growth. In his address, Shri Arif Mohammad Khan emphasized on the importance of entrepreneurship in the overall development of Indian society and praised several pro-entrepreneurial schemes and programs by the Government such as CGTMSE, Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Plan for adding great value in the ecosystem of MSMEs.  “MSME sector holds great potential and responsibility to deliver emerging needs of the society. Almost 51% of Indian MSMEs are based in semi-urban and rural areas and they require several measures to scale up their reach and expansion. Digital means and e-commerce are important subject areas that are helping MSMEs to expand their area of reach to national and international markets. MSMEs must focus on such areas for expanding their reach and enhancing their quality of output,” Hon’ble Shri Arif Mohammad Khan said.  

Secretary of MSME Ministry Shri BB Swain addressed the audience and mentioned “We have acknowledged and understood that COVID Pandemic has effected the MSMEs sector. The willpower of MSME Entrepreneurs to do better and bounce back is important to get nurtured. We have several schemes that are designed with the vision to support the MSMEs. And I am happy to say that even in the COVID Pandemic phase, schemes like PMEGP are doing very well. This pandemic saw great adoption of Digital technologies and with this pandemic period, our ministry has launched programs that are based on digital platforms to ensure ease of access for MSMEs. Initiatives like MSME Sampark, Champions Portal and Samadhan Portal are working very efficiently. We have observed a 99% success ratio on Samadhan Portal. We will continue to promote the MSME sector and we hope that this tough phase shall also pass. I welcome the initiative of SMEStreet GameChangers Forum which is using digital means to bring stakeholders of the MSME sector together to brainstorm for MSME growth.”

Complete Recorded Video Broadcast of the Inaugural Session of SMEStreet GameChangers

Commenting on the successful start of SMEStreet GameChangers, Faiz Askari, Secretary-General of SMEStreet Foundation said, “We are thankful to all the stakeholders especially the Ministry of MSME and NSIC for their support through participation in the SMEStreet GameChangers Forum Initiative. We aim to bring great value to MSMEs through knowledge sharing. As a principal objective, our commitment towards MSMEs is our commitment towards building India’s leadership as a world-leading economy. This program series is aimed to influence and motivate MSME entrepreneurs from across verticals.”

“SMEStreet GameChangers Forum is meant to change the game for SMEs. We, at Wadhwani Advantage, are excited to begin this relationship, and hope to help thousands of SMEs in India, in our endeavour to empower them in maximising their growth potential,” commented Mr Samir Sathe, EVP, Wadhwani Advantage. Wadhwani Foundation is at the forefront in empowering SMEs with capabilities that maximize their growth potential.

The inaugural session also witnessed great and insightful presentations from speakers from various industry sectors and across the globe who are connected to Indian MSME ecosystem.  

Mr. Himanshu B Patel, Founder and CEO of Triton EV delivered his special session on Triton EV’s plans for the Indian Market and he explained his vision to bring great opportunity in the area of EV Manufacturing Indian MSME ecosystem.  

The inaugural session of the forum also showcased MSME success story SAN-ECO Vision which is working on innovative models around creating innovative products through Bamboo. 

The event also hosted panel discussions on two topics: “MSME Opportunities  & Novel Avenues of Raising Capital”  and “How Digital Technologies are Influencing Next Level Growth for MSMEs”

The first panel represented distinguished leaders and experts like Mr. S Ravi, Founder of Ravi Rajan & Co-Ex. Chairman BSE India, Mr P Udayakumar, Director Planning & Marketing NSIC, Mr.  Ajay Thakur, Head BSE-SME & Startups, BSE India. The second panel was participated by IT industry leaders and top-level Tech experts like Mr Anil K Jain, CEO of NIXI, Mr. Manoj Chugh, Senior ICT Veteran and Board of Directors Member - Mahindra Group, Mr Nikhil Arora, Managing Director of GoDaddy India, Manish Johri of Lead Angels and Mr. Samir Sathe of Wadhwani Foundation.
Moving forward the Initiative of SMEStreet GameChangers Forum will continue to bring experts and industry leaders who are concerned stakeholders of the MSME sector. The program is also supported by NSIC.