Govt holds national seminar to help MSMEs access global markets via digital commerce

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises organised a national seminar at IIT Madras to promote digital commerce and export readiness for micro, small and medium enterprises, an official statement said on Thursday.

Praveen Yadav, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME Department, Tamil Nadu emphasised that digital commerce is transforming MSME’s access to global markets by transcending geographical boundaries.

He called for stronger Centre-State convergence to create an enabling ecosystem that can accelerate the global competitiveness of MSMEs, the statement from the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises said.

The event, held by the MSME Development & Facilitation Office, Chennai in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Cell of IIT Madras, drew MSMEs, entrepreneurs, students, policymakers, financial institutions and digital‑commerce experts to explore practical pathways for enabling MSMEs to access national and international markets.

The seminar focused on the changing landscape of international trade and the growing role of digital commerce, technology, innovation and market linkages in enabling MSMEs to reach customers beyond geographical boundaries.

Prof Manu Santhanam, Dean, IC&SR of IIT Madras highlighted the critical role of innovation, academia-industry collaboration in enabling MSMEs to develop new products and technologies, enhance competitiveness.

Hansraj Verma, Director General, Council of State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation of India, stressed that quality is fundamental to strengthening competitiveness in domestic as well as international markets and underlined importance of digitalisation for MSMEs to expand their reach.

The technical sessions featured experts and officials from DGFT, EXIM Bank, ECGC IIT Madras, export and e-commerce consulting domains, who provided practical insights on export procedures, trade finance, export risk mitigation, market identification, international payments, compliance, digital onboarding and opportunities for MSMEs to leverage e-commerce for global market access.

The Procurement & Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme of the Ministry of MSME includes national workshops or seminars as a dedicated component under its capacity-building interventions, aimed at creating awareness and educating MSMEs on market access, packaging, import-export procedures, e-commerce platforms and other developments relevant to expanding their markets.

The National Seminar was part of these components, providing MSMEs with direct access to experts and practical knowledge on digital commerce and export readiness, the statement noted.

The seminar also provided an important platform for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to understand the emerging opportunities in digital commerce, entrepreneurship and international markets.

—IANS

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