Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of India's economy — employing over 25 crore workers, contributing nearly 41% of manufacturing gross value added, and accounting for 44% of total exports (2023–24). They are central to industrial growth, regional development, and India's integration into global value chains.

Yet MSMEs today face growing pressures on multiple fronts. Climate impacts, supply chain disruptions and tightening export requirements are intensifying the conditions under which MSMEs must operate and compete. Rising heat stress, resource constraints and operational disruptions are already affecting productivity, worker wellbeing and business continuity, while financing and skills gaps continue to limit the sector’s ability to adapt. The green and low-carbon transition is adding to these demands — requiring new skills and capabilities that the sector is not yet equipped to deliver at scale.

Ahead of World MSME Day, WRI India is bringing together policymakers, MSME owners and associations, skilling and finance institutions, technology providers, and development partners on a common platform to exchange learnings, amplify on-ground experiences, and strengthen pathways for resilient and future-ready MSMEs.

The convening will spotlight MSME stories of impact, amplify voices from MSME clusters and on-ground partners, and share practical lessons from implementation, offering a firsthand view of what transition looks like in practice. High-level addresses will explore green skilling pathways at the subnational and national level. The convening will also recognise MSMEs and on-ground partners demonstrating leadership in building resilience, competitiveness and low-carbon transition pathways.

This national convening is organised under WRI India's Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Enterprises (RISE) Initiative. Supported by Ares Charitable Foundation's CREST initiative, RISE aims to help build the resilience and competitiveness of MSMEs in Chennai and Coimbatore automotive clusters in Tamil Nadu and the Surat textile cluster in Gujarat, while enabling an inclusive and just transition to a low-carbon future.

Learn more about RISE: https://wri-india.org/initiatives/resilient-inclusive-and-sustainable-enterprises-rise 

For more information, please reach out to Saurabh Kataria at [email protected]