Karnataka CM to inaugurate The Hindu businessline’s MSME conclave

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate The Hindu businessline’s flagship ‘MSME Growth Conclave’ at Bengaluru on June 27, International MSME Day.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate The Hindu businessline’s flagship ‘MSME Growth Conclave’ at Bengaluru on June 27, International MSME Day.

The conclave will discuss the effect of interest rates on the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises and how these industries can leverage technology such as Cloud and AI for digital transformation. The Hindu businessline is hosting the conclave to celebrate the contribution of small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Following Mr. Siddaramaiah’s inaugural address, two power-packed panel discussions on the topics ‘Interest Rates and Growth of MSMEs’ and Leveraging Technology, Cloud, and AI for Digital Transformation in MSMEs will be held.

The speakers include Siddhesh Naik, Country Leader, Data, AI, and Automation Software, Technology Sales, IBM India and South Asia; Rajeev Singh, Vice-President and Business Head, Midmarket and Emerging Business – Indian Subcontinent, SAP India Pvt. Ltd; Aiswarya Ravi, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Kinara Capital; Shashidhar Shetty, President, KASSIA; J.R. Bangera, National MSME Board; Samik Roy, Executive Director, Corporate, Medium, and Small Businesses, Microsoft; Sudhanshu Suman, General Manager, MSME Wing, Canara Bank; and Rajat Shikar, co-founder and CPO, Dealshare.

Last year too, on MSME Day, The Hindu businessline had hosted a similar conclave for MSMEs, which saw the participation of many from this sector. These enterprises play a vital role in the Indian economy. With a vast network comprising approximately 30 million units, this sector generates employment opportunities for around 70 million individuals. It also encompasses the manufacturing of over 6,000 products, contributing to around 45% of the manufacturing output and around 40% to both direct and indirect exports.

As the country moves towards a more inclusive growth agenda, the sector assumes greater importance with its potential to help realise the target of the proposed National Manufacturing Policy of raising the share of the manufacturing sector in GDP from 16% at present to 25%.

The conclave is powered by the State Bank of India in association with Bank of Baroda Credit Cards. The associate partners are Canara Bank and Aashirvaad, while the State partner is the Government of West Bengal, Department of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, and Textiles. The electric mobility partner is Mahindra, and broadcast partner is NewsX.