At the FICCI FLO National MSME Awards, the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, outlined how free trade agreements have expanded opportunities for India’s micro, small and medium enterprises. He highlighted recent pacts with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand as opening access to a large share of developed markets and creating prospects for Indian manufacturers to integrate into global supply chains. He noted that nearly 65 per cent of developed markets are covered under India’s FTAs.

He urged MSMEs, described as the backbone of the Indian economy, to prioritise quality-led growth and to move beyond scale and low-cost production towards higher standards. He observed that developed markets demand higher quality and that Indian consumers, including those in digitally connected rural areas, increasingly aspire to better goods. He added that duty free access does not allow sub-standard products to enter the domestic market and called for adherence to quality norms.

He identified artificial intelligence as an emerging critical tool across healthcare, transportation, manufacturing and services and encouraged MSMEs to adopt AI-driven solutions. He said such technologies could improve productivity and efficiency, sharpen decision-making and reduce the burden of routine operational tasks. The minister linked technology adoption with competitiveness in global supply chains and stressed the need for capacity building and access to digital infrastructure for smaller enterprises.

The chairman and managing director of the National Small Industries Corporation, Dr Subhransu Sekhar Acharya, underlined measures to promote women-led development through targeted support, digital empowerment and skills initiatives. He described the Trade Enablement and Marketing initiative that aims to onboard 0.5 million (mn) MSMEs onto the Open Network for Digital Commerce platform, with a target that 50 per cent should be women-led. FICCI Ladies Organisation representatives set out ongoing efforts through an MSME Assist Cell to connect women entrepreneurs with mentors, industry specialists and support for funding, marketing and scaling, and the ceremony recognised 11 women entrepreneurs for their contributions.