MSME Ministry seminar at IIT Madras targets digital export readiness
Synopsis
The MSME Ministry took its export-readiness push to IIT Madras, assembling policymakers, DGFT and EXIM Bank officials, and e-commerce experts to give small businesses a direct line to cross-border trade know-how. With India's MSMEs contributing 30% of GDP but punching below their weight in exports, the seminar signals a deliberate policy shift toward digital-first global market access.
Key Takeaways
The Ministry of MSME organised a national seminar at IIT Madras on 20 August on digital commerce and export readiness.
Praveen Yadav , Additional Chief Secretary, MSME Department, Tamil Nadu , called for stronger Centre-State convergence to boost MSME global competitiveness.
Experts from DGFT , EXIM Bank , and ECGC covered export procedures, trade finance, risk mitigation and digital onboarding.
The seminar is part of the Procurement & Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme , the ministry's dedicated capacity-building framework for MSMEs.
India's MSME sector comprises over 6 crore enterprises and contributes roughly 30% of GDP, yet its export share remains relatively low.
The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises convened a national seminar at IIT Madras on 20 August to equip micro, small and medium enterprises with practical tools for digital commerce and export readiness. The event, organised by the MSME Development & Facilitation Office, Chennai in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Cell of IIT Madras, brought together MSMEs, entrepreneurs, students, policymakers, financial institutions and digital-commerce specialists under one roof.
Key Developments
Praveen Yadav, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME Department, Tamil Nadu, set the tone by underscoring how digital commerce is dismantling geographical barriers for small businesses seeking global customers. He called for deeper Centre-State convergence to build an enabling ecosystem that can sharpen the international competitiveness of Indian MSMEs.
Prof Manu Santhanam, Dean, IC&SR of IIT Madras, spotlighted the indispensable role of innovation and academia-industry collaboration in helping MSMEs develop new products, adopt emerging technologies, and raise their competitive edge.
What Experts Said
Hansraj Verma, Director General, Council of State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation of India (CSIDCO), stressed that quality is the bedrock of competitiveness — both at home and abroad — and urged MSMEs to embrace digitalisation as a non-negotiable lever for market expansion.
Technical sessions featured officials and specialists from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), EXIM Bank, and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC), alongside e-commerce and export consultants. Topics ranged from export procedures and trade finance to risk mitigation, international payments, regulatory compliance, and digital onboarding strategies.
Policy Framework Behind the Seminar
The seminar forms part of the Procurement & Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme of the Ministry of MSME, which earmarks national workshops and seminars as dedicated capacity-building interventions. The scheme is designed to create awareness among MSMEs on market access, packaging, import-export procedures, and e-commerce platforms.
This is notably one of several such initiatives the ministry has scaled up as India's MSME sector — comprising over 6 crore enterprises and contributing roughly 30% of GDP — seeks to deepen its footprint in global value chains. Digital commerce has emerged as a cost-effective entry point for smaller exporters who lack the capital for traditional distribution networks abroad.
Why It Matters for MSMEs
India's MSME export share remains disproportionately low relative to the sector's domestic scale. Bridging that gap requires not just policy intent but hands-on knowledge of cross-border logistics, currency risk, and platform-specific compliance — precisely the ground the seminar aimed to cover.
The event also served as a launchpad for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to map emerging opportunities in digital commerce and international markets. With e-commerce exports projected to grow sharply over the next decade, early exposure to these frameworks could prove formative for the next generation of Indian exporters.
Further such seminars under the PMS Scheme are expected to be rolled out across other states as the ministry intensifies its outreach.
Point of View
Yet the sector's share of merchandise exports has remained stubbornly below potential. The IIT Madras event is well-designed — bringing DGFT, EXIM Bank, and ECGC into the same room as small entrepreneurs is exactly the kind of friction-reduction that works — but one-day formats rarely produce lasting behaviour change without follow-through credit access and platform partnerships. The real test is whether the PMS Scheme's capacity-building component is paired with measurable uptake targets: how many attendees opened export accounts, registered on e-commerce platforms, or applied for ECGC cover within 90 days? Without that feedback loop, the ministry risks confusing outreach with outcomes.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the MSME seminar at IIT Madras about?
The national seminar, held on 20 August at IIT Madras, focused on equipping micro, small and medium enterprises with knowledge on digital commerce, export procedures, trade finance, and international market access. It was organised by the MSME Development & Facilitation Office, Chennai, in collaboration with IIT Madras's Entrepreneurship Cell.
Which government bodies participated in the seminar?
Officials and experts from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), EXIM Bank, and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC) led technical sessions alongside e-commerce and export consultants. The event was convened under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises.
What is the PMS Scheme and how does it relate to this seminar?
The Procurement & Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme is a Ministry of MSME initiative that includes national workshops and seminars as dedicated capacity-building components. The IIT Madras seminar was held under this scheme to provide MSMEs direct access to practical export and digital-commerce knowledge.
Why is digital commerce important for Indian MSMEs?
Digital commerce allows MSMEs to reach customers beyond geographical boundaries without the capital-intensive infrastructure traditional export channels require. India's MSME sector contributes roughly 30% of GDP but remains underrepresented in export volumes, making digital platforms a cost-effective route to global markets.
Who attended the IIT Madras MSME seminar?
The seminar drew MSMEs, entrepreneurs, students, policymakers, financial institutions, and digital-commerce experts. It also provided students and aspiring entrepreneurs a platform to explore opportunities in international trade and digital commerce.
