Delivering a keynote address on the theme of ‘Building future-ready MSMEs for India@100: Policies, schemes & initiatives to promote MSMEs in Gujarat,’ Rajesh D. Barhatt, Joint Commissioner of Industries, Government of Gujarat shared valuable insights on the state and progress of the Gujarat MSME industry, highlighting key achievements, policies, and milestones.
“MSMEs are the backbone of the economy. We have a blueprint for MSMEs growth as a nation and as a state. For Gujarat as well, we have clear cut policies and a roadmap for MSMEs. I’m happy to say that since Gujarat is a policy-driven state, we have a policy in place for every aspect of the industry or every expenditure that an industrial unit makes… By leveraging upon the many strengths that we have, I’m sure that when we look at India@100, we will emerge as a big economy in the world,” Barhatt said.
According to Barhatt, more than 50,000 MSME units in Gujarat have benefitted from one of the schemes or incentives and, in a period of just five years, an exchequer of about Rs. 9,000 crore has been disbursed as incentives. “I don’t think any other state probably would be having such a large amount going into incentives. All this infrastructure, all this political will, all this bureaucratic will of the Gujarat government is poised to take Gujarat to the next level,” he added.
Barhatt also emphasised on Gujarat’s pivotal role as a major exporter, driving the momentum of Make in India; Make for Globe with Gujarat alone exporting and contributing to 30% of India’s total exports, versus 40%, if you include exports from the ports of the state.
ET OnlineOther key speakers at the event included Amit Kumar, Group CEO of Symphony Ltd; Mahendra Shah, National Chairman, CAIT; Rajiv Gandhi, Chairman, FICCI Gujarat State Council and CEO & MD, Hester Biosciences; Vijay Mangukiya, Regional Chairman – Gujarat Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council and Partner, Dhani Jeweller; Paresh Kantilal Mehta, Regional Chairman (West Region), FIEO; Apurva Shah, Treasurer, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Komal Kanzaria, VP of Business Development at MCX; Amit Saluja, Center Head of Gandhinagar CoE at NASSCOM; Dr. Hina Shah, Founder-Director of the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD); and Jaimin Vasa, Former President of GCCI and President of Gujarat Chemical Association.
Through the day, the event featured a series of engaging talks, panel discussions, and masterclasses covering a wide range of topics relevant to the MSME sector. These included discussions on strategies to boost MSMEs’ global competitiveness, identify the right export markets, and masterclasses on embracing Industry 4.0 technologies. The event also showcased inspiring success stories of businesses that exemplify the spirit of Make in India, Make for Globe, while highlighting the burning challenges faced by the MSMEs in Gujarat.
Speaking on the most pressing challenges faced by the MSMEs in Gujarat, Apurva Shah of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry said, “We do advocacy between the government and trade bodies or industrial units with respect to the burning issues faced daily by the industry. One of the key issues is the interest costs that have gone up and this needs to be brought down or be incentivised by any means by the government or the banks. Second, the banks, especially the PSUs, are not hands-on when it comes to small and medium exporters, where they don’t have access to big corporate CAs or large firms. And the third is, the Gujarat Industrial Development Corp have levied the charge of 18% GST for 2017-18 on GIDC land transfer; while many units have not paid because they were not aware of it and would not mind paying it, but we would want that added as an input tax credit, otherwise this will cause serious harm for the large, medium and small enterprises.”
“The state of Maharashtra as a policy allows upto 150 KW; we in Gujarat have been asking for that for the past one year because our policy is for 100 KW. The consumers are ready to pay the 50 KW charge and they can do it with the same infra which we wish is implemented as soon as possible… so the units can manufacture in the same amount of land but in a larger proportion given the increase in power. And if this is possible in other states, we’re sure it’s possible here as well,” GCCI’s Shah added.
The event also addressed the importance of promoting women entrepreneurship in the MSME sector. Dr. Hina Shah, Founder-Director of the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD), shed light on the opportunities and challenges facing women entrepreneurs in MSMEs. Her session provided valuable insights and inspiration for women entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the sector.
The Ahmedabad edition of the ET MSME Regional Summit, which was presented by the EconomicTimes.com in partnership with SBI as Banking Partner, MCX as Awareness Partner, and Renaissance Ahmedabad as Hospitality Partners, marked the beginning of a series of on-ground MSME-focused summits.
The next in line are ET Make in India MSME Regional Summits scheduled to be held in Chennai on June 10 and in Hyderabad on June 24, followed by virtual mini-thematic summits through June to finally culminate in the ET MSME Day 2023 Virtual Conclave on June 27, 2023, on International MSME Day.
The ET Make in India MSME Regional Summits and ET MSME Day 2023 Virtual Conclave aims to empower and build future-ready MSMEs for India@100, nurturing their growth and paving the way for a vibrant and prosperous future for the Indian economy.
To register and learn more about the ET Make in India MSME Regional Summits, please visit: Click Here
