The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, through the MSME Development & Facilitation Office in Chennai, organized a National Seminar on "From Local to Global: Enabling Export-Ready MSMEs through Digital Commerce" at IIT Madras on August 18, 2026. The event was conducted in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship cell of IIT Madras and brought together MSMEs, entrepreneurs, students, policymakers, financial institutions, export ecosystem stakeholders, and digital commerce experts to explore practical pathways for enabling MSMEs to access national and international markets.
The inaugural session featured special addresses by several dignitaries. Shri Praveen Yadav, Additional Chief Secretary of the MSME Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, emphasized that digital commerce is transforming MSMEs' access to global markets by transcending geographical boundaries and called for stronger Centre-State convergence to create an enabling ecosystem. Prof Manu Santhanam, Dean of IC&SR at IIT Madras, highlighted the critical role of innovation and academia-industry collaboration in enabling MSMEs to develop new products and technologies. Shri Hansraj Verma, Director General of the Council of State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation of India, emphasized that quality is fundamental to strengthening competitiveness and underlined the importance of digitization for MSMEs to expand their reach.
The technical sessions featured experts and officials from DGFT, EXIM Bank, ECGC, IIT Madras, and 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 seminar was particularly relevant in the context of the Government's continuing efforts to strengthen MSME market access through the Procurement & Marketing Support (PMS) Scheme of the Ministry of MSME, which includes National Workshops/Seminars as a dedicated component under its capacity-building interventions aimed at creating awareness and educating MSMEs on market access, packaging, import-export procedures, and e-commerce platforms.
The initiative reflects the Ministry of MSME's continuing commitment to strengthening market access, digital adoption, export preparedness, and handholding support for MSMEs, contributing to the vision of taking Indian enterprises from local to global markets. The program also provided an important platform for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to understand emerging opportunities in digital commerce, entrepreneurship, and international markets.