New Delhi, December 19, 2025:
The World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME) successfully organised the 29th International Conference on Small and Medium Enterprises (ICSME 2025) in New Delhi on Thursday, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, industry leaders, financial institutions, sustainability experts, and development partners from India and across the globe. The high-level conference was held at the NBCC Commercial Towers and served as a key global platform to deliberate on the future of MSMEs in an increasingly complex economic and environmental landscape.
The conference was organised under the theme, *“Driving Inclusive, Sustainable & Innovation-Led Growth through Global Partnerships — Empowering MSMEs for Viksit Bharat 2047 and a Sustainable World.”* The discussions focused on strengthening MSME ecosystems through innovation, sustainable finance, digital transformation, governance reforms, and international collaboration, aligning enterprise growth with India’s long-term development vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The inaugural session began with a ceremonial lamp lighting led by H.E. Mrs. Nohely Salinas Gonzalez, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Panama; Prof. (Dr.) K. C. Jankee, President of WASME and former Ambassador of Mauritius to the Russian Federation; Debasis Satapathy, Chief General Manager (HRM), NBCC; and Dr. Sanjiv Layek, Executive Secretary of WASME and NGO–UNESCO Liaison Committee Member (2024–26).
Addressing the gathering, Prof. (Dr.) K. C. Jankee emphasised the growing importance of global partnerships, South–South cooperation, and multilateral engagement in strengthening MSMEs worldwide. He noted that MSMEs remain the backbone of economic growth, employment generation, and innovation, particularly in developing and emerging economies, and called for coordinated global efforts to support their resilience and competitiveness.
Dr. Sanjiv Layek highlighted WASME’s four-decade-long commitment to championing MSMEs at the international level. He underlined the need for innovation-driven growth, sustainability-focused business practices, and responsible governance frameworks to ensure that MSMEs play a central role in achieving inclusive economic development and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
ICSME 2025 featured a series of high-impact plenary sessions and expert-led discussions addressing key challenges and opportunities facing MSMEs. One of the flagship sessions was the High-Powered Panel on *“Financing the Future: Green Capital, Blended Finance & ESG Investment for MSMEs.”* The session was moderated by Anwar Sadat, Managing Editor of Net Green Foundation, and brought together leading voices from finance, policy, and industry.
The panel included Gunjan Jhunjhunwala, Programme Lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW); CA Yogesh Motwani, Zonal Credit Head (North India) and Senior Vice President at Kotak Mahindra Bank; Vikas Somani, Co-Founder of Capinity Partners; Mukesh Sinha, Director of OSEL Devices Ltd; and Yuvraj Aman Preet Singh, Founder and CEO of Rocking Deals Circular Economy Ltd. Discussions centred on unlocking green capital, leveraging blended finance mechanisms, promoting ESG-aligned investments, and enabling MSMEs to integrate into sustainable and globally competitive value chains.
Other plenary sessions at the conference addressed the adoption of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), artificial intelligence, and Industry 4.0 technologies for MSMEs, alongside discussions on climate resilience, circular economy models, and net-zero transition pathways. Speakers also highlighted the importance of corporate governance, ESG compliance, transparency, and the inclusion of rural, tribal, women-led, and youth-led enterprises in mainstream growth frameworks.
A major highlight of ICSME 2025 was the presentation of the WASME Global Excellence Awards 2025. The awards recognised outstanding contributions by sustainability champions, innovative startups, women and youth entrepreneurs, social impact enterprises, and global development partners who have demonstrated leadership in building responsible, inclusive, and future-ready enterprise ecosystems.
The conference concluded with strategic discussions on partnerships and potential MoU signings, reinforcing the alignment between policy, finance, sustainability, and enterprise development. ICSME 2025 reaffirmed the role of MSMEs as key drivers of economic growth and positioned WASME as a leading global convenor and thought leader in advancing MSME-led development aligned with national and global sustainability goals.
WASME, an international non-governmental organisation with UN Consultative and Observer Status, continues to work across continents to promote MSME development, global trade, sustainability, and policy advocacy. Through platforms like ICSME 2025, the organisation aims to strengthen international cooperation and ensure MSMEs remain at the centre of sustainable economic progress.
