ET Make in India SME Regional Summit, Nagpur, ignites fresh concepts and innovative ideas to power local MSMEs

The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit in Nagpur, the third one in FY2025-26, brought together a diverse group of industry leaders, SME associations, and small business owners on July 24 to exchange ideas and outline a collective vision for industrial growth and national development.

The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit is a series of nationwide on-ground events designed to unite local micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), policymakers, enablers, and key industry stakeholders. The aim is to unravel emerging opportunities, address critical challenges, and foster meaningful knowledge-sharing and networking to drive the next wave of growth for Indian MSMEs.

The summit in Nagpur began with an insightful keynote address by Manohar Pote, Regional Head-Nagpur region, MIDC, who spoke on the overall industrial setup of the Nagpur and Vidharba regions as a whole and efforts being made to support MSMEs in the region.
“Over the next 5 to 10 years, Maharashtra is poised to contribute over $1 trillion towards India’s goal of becoming a $5-trillion economy. Every effort is underway to make this vision a reality, with a strong focus on empowering MSMEs, which are central to driving innovation, job creation, and inclusive economic growth across the state,” said Pote.

“In Nagpur, while the orange sector holds symbolic significance, its economic contribution remains below potential. In contrast, defence and engineering sectors are witnessing rapid growth, positioning the city as an emerging industrial hub. Looking ahead, lithium battery manufacturing and steel industries are expected to gain strong momentum over the next five years,” added Pote.

Following the keynote, a special address was delivered by Subhash Ingewar, Assistant Director, MSME Development and Facilitation Officer, Nagpur. In his speech, he highlighted the remarkable growth of MSMEs over the years, including their ability to export products.

“Our initiatives for MSME development are closely aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. To achieve true self-reliance, we need to foster new ideas, fresh concepts, and innovative thinking. A few years ago, we were dependent on imports for a wide range of products,” said Ingewar.
“Today, thanks to new ideas, innovative concepts, and the rise of start-ups, India is successfully moving towards import substitution. We are not only reducing our dependence on foreign goods but also developing indigenous technologies that are now enabling us to export our products to global markets,” added Ingewar.

This was followed by an intriguing fireside chat with Nagaraj Garla, Executive Director, IDBI Bank, on the topic ‘Catalysing Make in India Growth: IDBI Bank’s Strategic Imperatives for Empowering MSMEs.’

Garla spoke about several issues related to the financial constraints of the sector. “If we look at the statistics, the unmet credit demand of MSMEs in India still stands at nearly Rs 30 lakh crore. This presents a massive opportunity for banks and NBFCs to step in and bridge the gap. With continued efforts and focused financial inclusion, we could realistically aim to close this gap within the next five years,” said Garla.

He emphasised the various initiatives undertaken by the bank to improve cash flow for MSMEs, highlighting the pivotal role technology has played in achieving this objective. However, he pointed out that access to markets continues to be a major pain point for MSMEs. “The buyer-seller connection is still missing,” Garla noted, stressing the need for strategic tie-ups with a wide range of companies to create a stronger market linkage and boost MSME growth.
Following that, Sujay Sharma, Sales Manager, BIS Channel, Canon India, gave a presentation on ‘Making Business Simple with Canon’ at the ET Make in India SME Regional Summit in Nagpur. Sharma shared valuable insights on emerging printing technologies that incorporate advanced layers of security. He noted that these innovations could be immensely beneficial for entrepreneurs aiming to create a distinct identity and competitive edge for their businesses.

Thereafter, local industry leaders and association heads got together to participate in an engaging panel discussion on ‘Unlocking Vidarbha’s potential: Building a stronger MSME ecosystem in central India.’

Julfesh Shah, Chairman, Chamber of Small Industry Associations (COSIA), Vidarbha chapter, was optimistic about the ongoing developments in the industrial ecosystem of the Vidarbha region. “In the next five years, Vidarbha, with Nagpur at its core, is poised to emerge as a major industrial hub for India. I am very optimistic; we can clearly visualise the remarkable industrial growth taking shape here, thanks to the strong support from the government,” said Shah.
Prashant Mohta, Managing Director, Gimatex Industries (Textiles) & President, Vidarbha Industries Association, highlighted a few key challenges that must be addressed to accelerate the growth of the textile sector in the Vidarbha region. “There isn’t a single textile university in the Vidarbha region,” noted Mohta. “If we truly want to boost the textile industry here, skill development must be prioritised. Institutional support through dedicated courses and specialised programs is essential to build a skilled workforce and meet the sector’s growing demands.”

Mohota also noted that the growth momentum is clearly shifting towards the man-made fibre (MMF) segment, while the competitiveness of cotton is gradually declining.
Meanwhile, Prashant Waghmere, DGM & Regional Head, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), discussed the agricultural prowess of the region and work being done on the ground not only in oranges and cotton but also in various other varieties. “We are actively working to increase the share of exportable agri-produce from Nagpur’s orange growers by connecting them with overseas markets,” said Waghmere. “Under our MoU with ICAR, our focus is on capacity building and fostering innovation among agricultural stakeholders.”

The final session of the evening was a presentation by Suneed S, General Manager, Credit Solution Centre, IDBI Bank, highlighting the organisation's initiatives, outreach, and tools empowering MSMEs.
This marked the successful conclusion of the third event in this year’s ET Make in India SME Regional Summit series, held in Nagpur. The summit underscored how MSMEs can harness their core strengths while navigating key challenges through innovation, collaboration, and policy support. Serving as a vital platform, the event brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and small businesses, facilitating valuable insights, networking opportunities, and discussions aimed at driving inclusive and sustainable growth in the region.

The event sponsors were IDBI Bank as Banking & Lending Partner and Canon as Tech Enabler. The Summit now heads to Chandigarh on August 7, 2025, for another round of conversations, discussions, and learning in the ET SME Make in India pan-India series.