CII summit: AP minister calls for enhanced support for MSMEs

Andhra Pradesh Minister for MSMEs, Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), and NRI Empowerment Kondapalli Srinivas has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the manufacturing ecosystem and accelerating the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The Minister was speaking on Monday at the inauguration of the 22nd CII Global MSME Business Summit in New Delhi, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Union MSME Ministry.

Srinivas said that while India has traditionally excelled in the services sector, the time has come for the country to significantly expand its presence in global manufacturing. If Indian industry can effectively meet domestic demand, he noted, it will naturally gain the capacity and credibility to serve global markets as well.

He stressed that the government’s objective is to create an enabling ecosystem that allows MSMEs to scale up - from small enterpr ises to large, globally competitive companies.

The Minister urged CII to work more closely with government agencies to frame policies that truly support MSME growth. To ensure that Indian products gain wider acceptance in international markets, he emphasized the need to strengthen standardization, certification, and quality testing systems.

He suggested establishing more testing and certification laboratories across the country and improving industry awareness of international compliance standards. Aligning product standards with global requirements will significantly improve India’s export competitiveness, he noted.

Srinivas also called for better guidance to help Indian MSMEs take full advantage of free trade agreements (FTAs) and emerging global market opportunities.

Highlighting rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies, the Minister said new-age tools are making global integration more accessible than ever before. “The world has become smaller and more interconnected. MSMEs must leverage technology to connect Indian entrepreneurs with global opportunities,” he said.

Concluding his address, Srinivas appealed to CII to work more closely with the government to strengthen India’s MSME sector, expand domestic capabilities, and build global value chains. “Together, we can create a powerful ecosystem that shapes the future of Indian industry,” he added.

Several industry leaders, including Sunil Chordia, Chairman of the CII National MSME Council and CMD of Rajratan Global Wire Ltd., and M. Ponnuswamy, Co-Chairman of the CII National MSME Council and CMD of Pon Pure Chemical India Pvt. Ltd., participated in the summit.