MSMEs need to be future ready, foster development, says CII president

CII conference highlights MSMEs' future readiness and role in eastern region's development

The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have to be future ready for the eastern region to grow, R Dinesh, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and executive vice-chairman of TVS Supply Chain Solutions, said on Saturday.

Speaking at a conference on 'Future Ready to be Future Proof' in Kolkata, Dinesh emphasised the importance of MSMEs in fostering development. He said, “If the east is going to be able to grow, if it is going to successfully scale up, it is going to be because of the ability of the MSMEs to be future ready.”

He also said that the East has to take the lead in building capacity both on the digital front and on the skill front. “If we can make it happen then the future is ours to make.”

CII director general, Chandrajit Banerjee, said, for each there has to be state-specific focus areas. “For the eastern region, definitely there has to be a framework. We are working on certain areas and we would like to engage deeply in certain areas specifically as far as the eastern region is concerned. The topmost priority for us for the eastern region is to see how we are able to upskill and build capacity for future-ready jobs.”

The CII is looking to create different training centres. On the logistics front, it was engaged with the policymakers in the Northeast.

Banerjee also pointed out that the eastern region had a strong mineral base. “Therefore, we are looking at centres of excellence which would really focus on minerals.”

During the inaugural session of the conference, West Bengal Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam emphasised the crucial role of adaptation across all sectors in a dynamic environment. Nigam identified several key areas of focus like talent development, a customer-centric approach, robust risk management strategies, and the integration of data analysis skills into decision-making processes to thrive in today's dynamic environment.

New office bearers

Suvendra Kumar Behera, vice-chairman and managing director of RSB Transmissions (I) Ltd, has been elected as the chairman of CII Eastern Region Council for the year 2024 – 25. His name was announced at the first meeting of the reconstituted Eastern Region Council held in Kolkata today. The RSB group provides advanced solutions comprising design, validation, and manufacturing.

Shashwat Goenka, Vice Chairman of RP – Sanjiv Goenka Group, has been elected as the deputy chairman of CII. He is the chairman of Spencer’s Retail and director and vice-chairman of CESC Limited and Firstsource Solutions Limited.