Bharat Khera, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, shared the vision during SMEStreet ViewPoint with Dr Faiz Askari, as SMEStreet announced its Campus to Commerce initiative.
India’s micro, small and medium enterprises are expected to play a larger role in the country’s economic transformation as it progresses towards Viksit Bharat 2047, according to Bharat Khera, Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Speaking during an exclusive edition of SMEStreet ViewPoint hosted by Dr Faiz Askari, Founder and Editor of SMEStreet, on World MSME Day 2026, Khera said the sector is moving beyond its traditional role as the backbone of the economy to become a key driver of innovation, manufacturing, employment and global competitiveness.
The discussion covered technology adoption, access to finance, exports, formalisation, Industry 4.0, entrepreneurship and policy priorities shaping the future of India’s MSME sector.
Bharat Khera said, “As we move towards Viksit Bharat 2047, MSMEs will move beyond being the backbone of the Indian economy. They will become the catalyst for India’s growth, increasingly integrating into global value chains and driving innovation, manufacturing and employment.”
He highlighted that more than 8.6 crore enterprises are now registered on the Udyam Portal, improving access to government schemes, institutional finance and policy support.
On technology adoption, Khera said artificial intelligence is becoming both a disruptive force and an opportunity for businesses.
“AI is today’s biggest technology disruptor as well as the biggest technology enabler. Indian MSMEs that adopt technology quickly will become more competitive, more productive and better integrated with global markets,” he said.
He also highlighted the Ministry’s expanding network of Technology Centres, which provide support in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, robotics, Internet of Things, product design, prototyping, tooling and skill development.
Addressing delayed payments, Khera said timely payments remain essential for MSMEs because of their direct impact on working capital.
“Through the MSME Samadhaan Portal, Online Dispute Resolution mechanisms and mandatory adoption of the TReDS platform, we are making dispute resolution faster and improving payment discipline across the ecosystem,” he said.
He also referred to the role of Credit Guarantee schemes and the Self Reliant Fund in expanding access to debt and equity financing for high growth MSMEs.
During the programme, Dr Faiz Askari announced SMEStreet’s Campus to Commerce initiative, which aims to strengthen links between educational institutions and industry by connecting students, universities, startups and MSMEs through mentorship, entrepreneurship awareness and industry engagement.
Announcing the initiative, Dr Faiz Askari said, “Through Campus to Commerce, SMEStreet aims to bridge the gap between classrooms and boardrooms by preparing young talent for the realities of entrepreneurship, innovation and India’s evolving MSME ecosystem.”
Bharat Khera welcomed the initiative and said stronger industry academia collaboration will help students understand business challenges while encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.
Speaking about SMEStreet’s broader role, Dr Faiz Askari said media should contribute beyond reporting by helping entrepreneurs access knowledge, opportunities and meaningful conversations that support India’s economic development.
The discussion concluded with a forward looking outlook on the MSME sector, with Khera expressing confidence that greater formalisation, technology adoption and integration with global value chains will help Indian enterprises become larger and more globally competitive over the coming years.
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