- EDII opens international conference on empowering MSMEs for Industry 5.0 transition
- Mercy Epao: MSMEs must embrace emerging technologies while keeping people, sustainability and resilience at the centre
- Gujarat’s Kshipra Agre calls entrepreneurial proficiency key to building resilient, sustainable businesses
- Bihar’s Aman Samir stresses technology awareness and scalable approaches for value-chain integration
- Dr Sunil Shukla: Industry 5.0 can unite technology, human capabilities and sustainability
- GEM India Report 2024-25 released; EDII has led India chapter since 2012
NE MSME BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, SEPT 23
Can India’s millions of MSMEs move beyond simply adopting technology to building enterprises where artificial intelligence, human ingenuity, sustainability and resilience work together? This question took centre stage as the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad, inaugurated a two-day international conference on ‘Empowering MSMEs to Lead the Industry 5.0 Transition’ on Wednesday.
Supported by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, the conference has brought policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, technology experts and academia together to examine how MSMEs can navigate the next phase of industrial transformation.
The inaugural session brought together Mercy Epao, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME, Government of India and EDII Governing Board Member; Kshipra Agre, IAS, Commissioner, MSME, Industries & Mines Department, Government of Gujarat; Aman Samir, IAS, Director (MSME), Department of Industries, Government of Bihar; and Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII.
‘People, sustainability and resilience at the centre’
Setting the tone for the deliberations, Mercy Epao said MSMEs would remain central to economic growth but would require an enabling policy environment and supportive ecosystem to navigate Industry 5.0.
“MSMEs are the key to growth for any nation. They have to be nurtured through enabling policies and a supportive ecosystem to ensure their growth, which ultimately contributes to the growth of the national economy,” she said.
As businesses move towards Industry 5.0, she stressed the need for MSMEs to embrace emerging technologies without losing sight of the human dimension.
“It is important for MSMEs to understand and embrace emerging technologies while keeping people, sustainability and resilience at the centre of their growth,” Epao said, adding that the conference could facilitate sharing of best practices, exploration of opportunities and meaningful associations.
Gujarat focuses on entrepreneurial proficiency
Kshipra Agre highlighted entrepreneurial proficiency as a critical factor in enabling MSMEs to contribute more significantly to economic growth.
“Entrepreneurial proficiency is a key factor for MSME entrepreneurs aiming to contribute significantly to economic growth. A higher entrepreneurial quotient among entrepreneurs strengthens the business ecosystem and creates a resilient and sustainable model for growth,” she said.
Calling the conference a significant step towards building knowledge infrastructure around MSMEs and Industry 5.0, Agre said the initiative would facilitate experience sharing and mutual learning.
Bihar stresses scalable technology adoption
Aman Samir said the Industry 5.0 transition presents MSMEs with opportunities to enhance productivity, competitiveness and resilience.
“The transition towards Industry 5.0 presents significant opportunities for MSMEs to enhance their productivity, competitiveness and resilience,” he said.
He stressed the importance of creating greater awareness of emerging technologies and facilitating their adoption, particularly among enterprises seeking to scale and become part of evolving value chains.
“The conference is planned well to provide an opportunity for policymakers, industry and entrepreneurs to exchange experiences and identify practical and scalable approaches,” Samir said.
Technology meets human capability
For Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII, the Industry 5.0 transition represents an opportunity to combine technological advancement with human capabilities and sustainability.
“MSMEs have come to play a vital role in the development of economies across countries. India has several beneficial MSME-related schemes and policies and is constantly seeking to institute ways and means to strengthen the sector,” he said.
“The transition to Industry 5.0 brings together technology, human capabilities and sustainability, creating new possibilities for MSMEs,” Shukla added.
He said the international representation at the conference would facilitate meaningful dialogue and knowledge exchange.
Global perspectives on the MSME transition
The conference has brought together 120 delegates from three countries and six Indian states, creating a cross-border platform for knowledge exchange and experience sharing.
International experts include Diana Cisneros, Chief Operating Officer, Hero Startup, Peru, who will address ‘The Bulletproof Supply Chain: Leveraging Digital Twins to Predict and Survive Disruption’; Prof Siri Roland Xavier, Professor and Programme Director, Tun Razak Graduate School, Unirazak, Malaysia, on ‘NextGen Innovation and Ecosystem for Industry 5.0’; and Dr Patcharaporn Boonyos (Mo), Business Service Development Expert at ISMED, Thailand, on ‘Building Industry 5.0 AI Where Smart Data Meets Human Control’.
The programme also features sessions and panel discussions involving experts from industry, technology, healthcare, engineering, entrepreneurship and sustainability, including Dr Anand Bhadalkar, Dr Jaimin R Vasa, Chhail Khalsa, Hunny Bhagchandani, Nirav Galaiya, Dr Ravindra Raj BM, Sunil Mainani, Vaibhav Shitole, Vijaysinh Rahevar and Yash Patel.
GEM Report 2024-25 released
Adding an important entrepreneurship dimension to the conference, dignitaries released the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) India Report 2024-25.
The GEM India report is an annual study of entrepreneurial dynamics and provides insights into the country’s entrepreneurial landscape. EDII has been leading the Indian chapter of GEM since 2012, with Dr Sunil Shukla spearheading the Indian GEM team.
The report’s release at a conference focused on Industry 5.0 underlines the growing intersection between entrepreneurship, technological transformation and enterprise resilience.
For India’s MSMEs, the emerging challenge is therefore no longer merely whether to adopt technology, but how effectively they can combine technology with entrepreneurial capability, skilled people, sustainability and resilience to remain competitive in an increasingly interconnected global economy.
