NEW DELHI, April 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• Hon'ble Union Minister for MSME Mr. Virbhadra Singh graces the event as the chief guest
• Presence of over 500 SMEs makes the grand finale a resounding success
• Power panel discussion to discuss the 5-point agenda (HR & Training, Marketing, IPR, Finance & Innovation in Technology) steals the limelight
• Associations, Institutes & SMEs acknowledged in a felicitation ceremony for their contribution to the sector
• 'Special Breakaway Roundtable' was also organised prior to the main event

More thrust is needed in terms of financial aid and technology upgradation for MSMEs, highlighted Hon'ble Union Minister for MSME Mr. Virbhadra Singh at the recently concluded Zee Business presents IndiaMART Emerging Business Forum in New Delhi. He graced the occasion as the chief guest. With its four months long journey across13 different cities of India, the forum emerged as the biggest ever platform to address and discuss pain points of SMEs.

Inspiring over 4500 SMEs to take the 'Next Big Leap' in this journey, the forum catalysed knowledge-sharing by luminary panelists and enlightening insights from SME clusters across the country. The sole aim was to churn out practical solutions for varied business functions and pertinent challenges faced by the SMEs. The presence of over 500 SMEs at the finale ensured that it turned out to be a spectacular event.

Appreciating this initiative by IndiaMART.com and Zee Business, Hon'ble UnionMinister for MSME, said, "This activity of taking note of contribution of MSMEs is taking momentum in the country. The industries in MSME sector are gaining momentum day by day especially with the interest taken by the prime minister, by setting up the task force." He added that the government is giving a lot of impetus to credit guarantee to MSMEs. However, he shared that much more is required for financial assistance to these units. On the current economic scenario, he said, "We are passing through a difficult phase but India is on a recovery mode. Let us not be disheartened. Slowdown is a global phenomenon and mighty countries such as US, Europe, Japan, are also facing the same downturn. There is no need to panic and we have enough sources to fight the present situation."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, IndiaMART.com, said, "We are extremely thankful to the Honourable Union Minister of MSME Shri Virbhadra Singh for gracing the finale of IndiaMART Emerging Business Forum. This forum is unique not only because of the huge participation by SMEs, industry associations and policymakers at all 13 on-ground events but also because of the efforts put in to find solutions to the issues faced by SMEs, instead of just touching upon them. We also extend our thanks to Zee Business for their support in making this a success."

The event began with the keynote by Mr.Brijesh Agrawal, COO, IndiaMART.com. He shared, "Each large enterprise was once a start up. They are at this stage led by their zealous entrepreneurs whose vision, grit and determination have let them taste success. At IndiaMART.com, we have been committed to empower SMEs to move up this value chain, achieve scale and global competitiveness. Emerging Business Forum is a reflection of the same. Such a tremendous response from SMEs across the country to this endeavour reaffirms our commitment." This was followed by an address by Mr. Barun Das, CEO, Zee News.

The finale also entailed a power panel discussion on a five-point agenda where Mr. H P Kumar, Chairman & MD, NSIC, Mr. N K Maini, Deputy, MD, SIDBI, Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, IndiaMART.com, Mr. A Sakthivel, President of Tirupur Exporters Association (TEA) and Mr. Saurabh Srivastava, Founder, India Angel Network delved on finding solutions to aspects concerning SMEs such as marketing, HR and training, credit facilitation, IPR and innovation in technology.

The forum also felicitated SMEs and associations that have contributed to the growth of the sector. The details are mentioned below:

Industry Associations

• Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA)
• Agra Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Chamber (AFMEC)
• Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SGCCI)

Special Contribution to Policy Making

• Mr. Dinesh Rai

Innovation in Technology

• Data Resolve Technologies

HR & Training Excellence

• Sandhar Technologies

Manufacturing Excellence

• Dawar Footwear Industries

Marketing Excellence

• Cocoberry

SME Credit Facilitation

• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Prior to the grand finale, a 'Special Breakaway Roundtable' was also organised. It brought together policymakers and industry representatives from across the country on a single platform. While the latter sought views and responses on SME specific challenges, the former highlighted initiatives undertaken by the government. The esteemed participants included Mr. R K Mathur, Secretary, Ministry of MSME, Government of India, Mr. S K Goel, Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Mr. Dinesh Agarwal, Mr. Rohit Mehta, President, Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr. Rajiv Chawla, President, Faridabad Small Industries Association, among others.

The culmination ceremony will also be telecast on Zee Business soon.

AboutIndiaMART.com

IndiaMART.com India's largest online B2B marketplace for Small & Medium Size Businesses, connecting global buyers with suppliers. The company offers a platform & tools to over 1 million suppliers to generate business leads from over 5 million buyers, who use the platform to find reliable & competitive suppliers. The company has over 3500employees located across 75+ offices in the country. Its existing investors include Intel Capital and Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

Products& Services

IndiaMART.com offers products that enable small & medium size businesses generate business leads (online catalogs/store-fronts), establish their credibility (third party verified trust profile) and use business information (finance, news, trade shows, tenders) for their business promotion.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.indiamart.com/corporate/press-section.html 

MediaContacts
Pawandeep Kaur
Manager - Corporate Communications
T:+(91)-(120)-30908654
F: +(91) 0120-3911010
E: corpcomm@indiamart.com

SOURCE IndiaMART.com