100 MSMEs to participate in CeBIT India expo

About 100 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will participate in the second CeBIT India expo to showcase their products and solutions here October 29-31.

"As the MSME segment is poised to play a major role in the economy, its development is key to meet financial inclusion and create jobs in urban and rural areas across the country," CeBIT organiser Hannover Fairs India managing director Mehul Lanvers-Shah said in a statement on Thursday.

Touted as the world's largest international computer expo, the CeBIT organisers Deutsche Messe AG (German Trade Show) holds annual IT and ICT shows outside Germany under its CeBIT brand in select cities the world over.

State-run Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) will partner with Hannover Milano Fairs India Ltd to provide a platform the 100 MSMEs to promote the software and electronics hardware industry in the sub-continent.

Of the participating MSMEs, 10 of them will be chosen to attend the premier CeBIT Hannover 2016 in Germany and widen their access to global markets.

"The government's Digital India initiative will transform the socio-economic situation while the MSME segment will emerge as a backbone for the economy and be an engine for growth," the organisers said in the statement.

According to global audit firm KPMG, India's GDP is expected to touch 8.5 percent, with its economy booming at $5 trillion by 2025, while the MSME sector is projected to contribute 15 percent to the GDP by 2020 from eight percent and generate 50 percent of total employment.

"Our objective is to develop entrepreneurship and support growth-led innovation over the next decade and doubling MSME workforce from 106 million across agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors," Shah said.

Supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India vision, CeBIT India 2015 will be a single platform to the MSMEs under the STPI umbrella to connect with global industry leaders in the electronics and software ecosystem.

"We have been instrumental in promoting MSMEs for over two decades and carved a niche for India in the global IT arena. We believe our partnership with CeBIT will help us accentuate," said STPI director Omkar Rai.