Smt. Mercy Epao, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME, graced the programme as the Chief Guest, while Shri R. K. Bharti, Director, Ministry of MSME, participated as the Guest of Honour. Their guidance and participation brought valuable perspectives on the current needs, challenges and growth opportunities for the MSME sector.
Smt. Mercy Epao congratulated the Northern India Regional Council of The Institute of Cost Accountants of India for organising the conclave and highlighted the importance of collective efforts in strengthening the MSME ecosystem. She said that the Government of India cannot undertake the “Vocal for Local” initiative alone and that industry associations and organisations such as ICMAI have an important role to play in supporting MSMEs. She further highlighted the government’s efforts towards formalising the informal MSME sector through the digital Udyam Registration platform, enabling enterprises to access various government schemes and support mechanisms. She noted that the Ministry of MSME covers micro, small and medium enterprises across manufacturing, services and trade, and is conducting intensive campaigns, conclaves and awareness programmes across the country to expand awareness and facilitate access to government support.
The programme brought together distinguished guests, panellists and speakers from government, industry, public sector organisations, finance, taxation and professional practice. The distinguished participants included CMA Kundan Kumar Sinha, Associate Vice President & Head – Finance, Balmer Lawrie & Co.; Shri Brijesh Goyal, National Chairman, CTI; CMA Anupam Lahiri, Additional Director General, NITI Aayog; Shri Bimal Jain, GST Consultant; Shri Arun Dabral, Founder & CEO, VMTR; Shri Manoj Kumar Singh, Senior General Manager, NSIC; CMA Harkesh Tara, Former Chairman, NIRC; CMA Mahesh Chand Bansal, Senior Executive Director – Finance, NBCC India Ltd.; and Shri Manoj Kapoor, Co-Founder, Taxo India.
The speakers included Shri Sunil Kumar, Deputy Director, Ministry of MSME; Shri Niraj Kumar, Vice President & National Head, Balmer Lawrie & Co.; Shri Amish Nishesh, Academy Specialist, Idea to Impact Foundation; CMA Pankaj Jain, Founder, Jain Ventures Global MSME & Realty Strategies; and CMA (Dr.) S. K. Gupta, Managing Director, ICMAI RVO and Chief Executive Officer, ICMAI SAO, who shared their valuable perspectives and expertise.
VISIONARY LEADERSHIP OF CMA MANISH KANDPAL
The “Vocal for Local” campaign reflects the visionary approach of CMA Manish Kandpal, Chairman, Northern India Regional Council. He viewed the MSME Conclave not merely as a standalone programme, but as an important link in the continuing efforts to empower MSMEs across the country.
Under his leadership and guidance, the conclave was shaped as an effective platform to connect MSMEs from different regions, understand their challenges and requirements, and strengthen their capabilities through cost management, financial empowerment, technological upgradation, compliance and capacity building.
CMA Manish Kandpal’s role was particularly significant in taking the message of “Vocal for Local” to a wider level and providing a new direction to the MSME movement through this initiative.
COLLECTIVE CONTRIBUTION OF THE ORGANISING TEAM
The success of this landmark initiative was also supported by the vision, guidance and dedicated efforts of CMA Jeewan Chandra, Vice Chairman & Co-Convener; CMA Honey Singh, Secretary & Treasurer and Convener of the Conclave; and CMA Rakesh Yadav, Former Chairman and Regional Council Member, Northern India Regional Council. Their collective vision and commitment to taking the MSME movement forward across the country played an important role in translating the larger objective of “Vocal for Local” into an effective programme.
Their active support, dedication, guidance and continuous coordination, along with the cooperation of the members of the Institute, contributed significantly to the planning of the programme, coordination with guests and speakers, event arrangements and successful execution. Their collective efforts helped take the message of “Vocal for Local” to a wider audience and contributed to giving a meaningful direction to the MSME sector.
The conclave featured an inaugural session, a panel discussion and two technical sessions. The technical deliberations covered practical aspects of cost optimisation, government schemes and support, availability of financial resources, statutory compliance, technology adoption, and business expansion and restructuring.
The speakers emphasised that Cost and Management Accountants can provide valuable professional support to MSMEs in cost control, better utilisation of resources, financial decision-making, strengthening financial structures and developing long-term business strategies.
The message of “Vocal for Local” extends beyond promoting local products and services; it also seeks to make local enterprises capable, competitive, innovative and sustainable. The conclave deliberated on the future of MSMEs and on taking forward a strong MSME movement across the country with this broader perspective.
The conclave concluded with a collective commitment to promote local entrepreneurship, strengthen the capabilities of MSMEs and further enhance their contribution to the Indian economy. The Northern India Regional Council expressed its sincere gratitude to all distinguished guests, speakers, industry representatives, professionals, entrepreneurs, members of the Institute and participants whose support contributed to the success of the programme.
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