India opens free, large-scale market support to Lankan SMEs

One of world’s most dynamic SME and MSME collectives has come forward to support Sri Lankan MSMEs to go global. The offer, made to Lankan SMEs for the first time also includes free marketing and tech know-how assistance for Lankan SMEs. “Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to increase Indian MSME’s contribution to GDP in a big way. If we support Lankan SMEs, the Lankan sector in turn will supply us and support us too. But we are not talking of support to Sri Lankan SMEs for entering only Indian markets but we are ready to support them to go global, at no costs,” said Rajnish Goenka, influential Founder Chairman of India’s MSME Development Forum (IMSME-DF) the first integrated and Unified Platform for the huge Indian MSME sector.

Chairman Goenka met Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training (ICTPDPCDSDVT) Rishad Bathiudeen in Colombo last week.

“We MSME-DF are working in tandem with Indian government. We are ready to extend support for marketing, promotion and technology for Sri Lankan SMEs. We are not able to give financial support since there is a huge demand by Indian MSMEs for that. We can provide a good platform for Lankan SMEs. My discussions with Minister Bathiudeen and some local entrepreneurs shown that Sri Lankan SMEs and MSMEs are faced with three types of issues-in finance, marketing and technology.

We will support marketing and technology aspects. For example I met Lankan entrepreneurs in Colombo who developed medical equipment related innovations but are unable to find any market opportunities here. We shall provide such Lankan SMEs and innovators a new market in India” said Chairman Goenka and added: “The MSME-DF not only has a strong presence in Indian market, but also has 35 overseas branches in overseas including in USA, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan, etc.

MSME-DF has 50,000 Indian SMEs as members, 500,000 affiliated Indian SMEs and a database of another two-million SMEs. We also serve Indian micro enterprises. As for tech support, it depends on the type of request made by Lankan SMEs. India is the cheapest technology hub in the world.”

Minister Bathiudeen who welcomed Chairman Goenka’s proposals said, “India has helped us in many ways and our bilateral cooperation dates back to centuries,”