Ahmedabad : The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Gujarat hosted the 2nd edition of the CII Gujarat MSME Conclave 2025. Such conclave brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs on one platform. They discussed strategies for strengthening MSMEs in a competitive and sustainable global environment. The day-long conclave was held at Hotel Novotel, Ahmedabad, under the theme “Transforming MSMEs for a Competitive and Sustainable Future.”
Opening the conclave, Varang Trivedi, Convenor, CII Gujarat MSME & VD Panel, focused on Gujarat’s strong MSME base. Further he focused on over 23 lakh enterprises, and hence said the need to move the discussion from “why transformation is needed to how transformation can be practically achieved” through collaboration and real-time learning.
Chinmay Bhuta, Co-Convenor, CII Gujarat MSME & VD Panel, outlined key imperatives. Not only digital finance adoption but also green manufacturing, and partnerships through MSME clusters and academia-industry collaboration.
Achal Bakeri, Vice Chairman, CII Gujarat State Council and CMD, Symphony Ltd, underlined the crucial role of MSMEs. MSMEs employ over 11 crore people and contribute nearly 30 per cent to India’s GDP. He stressed the importance of balancing operational excellence with sustainability through lean manufacturing and green transition to access global markets.
Delivering the special address, M. Ponnuswami, Co-Chairman, CII National MSME Council, described MSMEs as the backbone of India’s economy. Additionally he urged entrepreneurs to adopt digitization, automation, GeM registration, and explore export opportunities while maintaining financial and tax discipline.
The inaugural session concluded with remarks by Nishit Shah, Co-Convenor, CII Gujarat MSME & VD Panel, who highlighted Gujarat’s pro-business policies and government mandate of 25 per cent procurement from MSMEs as a strong growth enabler.
The conclave featured an exclusive fireside chat on leadership and growth, followed by three strategic panel discussions focused on industrial infrastructure, growth strategies, and the role of technology and AI in MSME transformation. Industry experts shared actionable insights on infrastructure development, financial readiness, talent, branding, automation, and digital tools.
Attended by over 150 delegates, the conclave concluded with a strong commitment to convert discussions into decisive action, reinforcing Gujarat’s leadership role in MSME-led economic growth.
