To commemorate International MSME Day, the FICCI West Bengal State Council hosted the sixth edition of its flagship seminar, ‘Empowering MSMEs for a Sustainable Future’, in collaboration with the FICCI Centre for Sustainability Leadership, on June 27.
Rajesh Pandey, IAS, principal secretary, MSME and Textiles Department, Government of West Bengal, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the state’s 93 lakh strong MSME base — the largest in India — and its focus on women-led enterprises, cluster development, and sustainable practices. He shared that MSME credit in West Bengal has seen a 22 per cent CAGR over the past decade.
Barbara Voss, consul general of Germany in Kolkata, stressed the importance of women-led MSMEs and international collaboration. Other speakers included R.K. Chhajer, chair, FICCI MSME committee, West Bengal; Girish Luthra, president, FICCI-CMSME; and Ajeya Bandyopadhyay, South Asia lead for climate advisory at IFC-World Bank, who addressed climate and finance-linked resilience for MSMEs.
Banking experts, including Rajneesh Kumar, DGM (SME), State Bank of India; Pravin Basant Bhojwani, AGM – East, ECGC; Anirudha Barooah, AGM and regional head, India Exim Bank; and Ajay Kumar, chief manager, Indian Overseas Bank, discussed ESG compliance and green finance.
Industry leaders such as Sitanath Mukherjee, IEDS, assistant director, MSME-development and facilitation office, Kolkata; Kumar P Saha, MD and CEO, Serena Technologies; Saurabh Palsania, joint president – strategic sourcing, Shree Cement; and Namit Shah, MD, F Harley and Company Pvt Ltd, representative of PUM, shared insights on sustainable strategies and circular economy models.
The seminar, supported by the MSME and textiles department and key partners, welcomed over 180 participants, reaffirming a shared commitment to a greener, more resilient MSME future.