ET Make in India SME Regional Summit to debut in Nagpur, the ‘Orange City’, on July 24

The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit will be held for the first time in Nagpur on July 24, 2025. The city’s central location positions it as an ideal hub for MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises), especially for those engaged in manufacturing, services, and agriculture-based industries.

Nagpur, also known as the Orange City, has seen the development of various clusters, such as the Nagpur Dall Millers Cluster Pvt Ltd, which comprises 100 small-sized enterprises working together to promote growth, quality, and food security. The city also boasts industrial parks and dedicated MSME clusters, showcasing a well-developed industrial infrastructure that fosters a conducive environment for the growth of MSMEs.

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As per the open data government platform, the number of Udyam-registered MSMEs in Nagpur district is 268,599, with 264,548 micro, 3,708 small, and 343 medium enterprises.

The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit in Nagpur will begin with a keynote address on the topic “Opportunities in Orange City: Vision for MSME-led growth in Nagpur and beyond.” This will be delivered by Subhash Ingewar, Assistant Director, MSME DFO- Nagpur.

There will be a special address by Manohar Pote, Regional Head-Nagpur region, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
This will be followed by an exclusive 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.”

Following this, experts and industry leaders will come together for an engaging panel discussion titled “Unlocking Vidarbha’s potential: Building a stronger MSME ecosystem in central India.” Present at the panel will be Prashant Mohta, Managing Director, Gimatex Industries (Textiles) & President, Vidarbha Industries Association; Julfesh Shah, Chairman, Chamber of Small Industry Associations (COSIA), Vidarbha chapter; Aakaash Awasthi, Branch Head, NSIC, Nagpur; and Prashant Waghmare, Deputy General Manager (DGM) and Regional Head, at Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

The SME summit will also serve as a platform providing networking opportunities to local small businesses and industry leaders. They can engage, connect, and have an open dialogue.

This endeavour will be conducted under the theme of ‘Empowering MSMEs: Driving India’s Century of Sustainable Growth,’ to champion, acknowledge, and fortify the Indian MSME sector. It will be conducted by Economictimes.com with IDBI Bank as the Banking & Lending Partner and Canon as the Tech Enabler. Each summit will comprise a diverse array of discussions and sessions, including panel discussions, masterclasses, and showcases of MSME solutions.

This is the third annual edition of the ET Make in India Regional Summit series. In the inaugural year, the programme covered Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Hyderabad. In this edition, 20 cities will be covered, including Thane, Nagpur, Dehradun, and Noida.

The ET MSME Awards, India's most coveted awards programme celebrating the achievements of the MSME sector, is back with its sixth edition. Register here to be recognised as India's top MSME.

Register here for Nagpur summit