ET Make in India SME Regional Summit arrives in Indore on March 13

Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, is gearing up to host the ET Make in India SME Regional Summit on March 13, 2026. The summit will bring together micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry leaders in the region on a single platform, helping them connect, engage in discussions, and explore growth opportunities.

Currently, Madhya Pradesh has more than 2.4 million registered MSMEs, of which 2.38 million are micro, 19,5881 are small, and 1,189 are medium enterprises, according to Udyam data. These MSMEs contribute nearly 30% to the state’s gross domestic product while employing more than 10 million people. Indore district alone has more than 2 lakh MSMEs.

Indore is a key business centre for the state, with significant economic activities, industrial developments, and trade. The city boasts a robust foundation in pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, food processing, textiles, automobile components, and IT services.


The city’s robust infrastructure, efficient logistics, digital ecosystem, and seamless connectivity have cultivated a business-friendly environment for MSMEs. Prominent industrial clusters, such as the Pithampur Industrial Area, often referred to as the “Detroit of Madhya Pradesh” due to its automobile manufacturing presence, along with the Sanwer Road Industrial Area and Polo Ground Industrial Estate, have significantly strengthened the region’s MSME ecosystem.

The city’s focus on innovation, ease of compliance, and export-led growth has further made it a preferred investment destination for MSMEs, particularly in sectors like e-commerce, FMCG, automotive, and manufacturing, which are witnessing rapid growth due to new warehousing and logistics projects, such as large industrial logistics parks near Pithampur.

The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit in Indore will be held under the theme “Industrial powerhouse Indore: Driving MSME growth across auto, textiles, pharma & agro.”

Register here for the Indore summit.

The ET SME summit in Indore will begin with a keynote address by Shankar Lalwani, Member of Parliament, Indore.

Himanshu Prajapati, Executive Director, MP Industrial Development Corporation (MPIDC) then joins the stage for a special address.

Then there will be a panel discussion on the topic “From ‘Mini Mumbai’ to manufacturing might: MSMEs powering MP’s growth engine”. The panellists include Gautam Kothari, President, Pithampur Audhyogik Sangathan; Sachin Bansal, President, Indian Plast Pack Forum (IPPF); Yogesh Mehta, President, Association of Industries Madhya Pradesh (AIMP); Vinod Vyas, Deputy General Manager, NSIC Indore and Anand Singh, Deputy General Manager & Regional Head, Indore Regional Office, India Exim Bank.

This will be followed by a fireside chat with Ramkrishna Eda, Chief General Manager, IDBI Bank on the topic, “Catalyzing 'Make in India' Growth: IDBI Bank's Strategic Imperatives for Empowering MSMEs.”

Prashant Bhojne, Sales Manager, Canon India then joins the stage to give a presentation on the topic "Making Business Simple with Canon."

The summit will then feature a fireside chat with Nirmalya Chanda, Regional In-Charge, Bhopal RO, The New India Assurance Co. Ltd. on the topic “Empowering MSMEs Through Comprehensive Insurance: Bridging the Protection Gap with New India Assurance.”

Mohit Jain, Co-founder & CEO, Kimirica, will then join the stage for a business success story on the topic “Building from Indore: Disruptors from Central India.”

The ET SME Summit in Indore will be conducted under the theme of ‘Empowering MSMEs: Driving India’s Century of Sustainable Growth’ to champion, acknowledge, and fortify the Indian MSME sector by Economictimes.com with IDBI Bank as the Banking & Lending Partner; The New India Assurance Co. Ltd as the General (Non-Life) Insurance Partner; Canon India as Tech Enabler and India Exim Bank as Export Enabler. The programme is supported by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Each ET SME summit comprises a diverse array of discussions and sessions, including panel discussions, fireside chats, classes, and showcases of MSME solutions.

This is the third annual edition of the ET Make in India Regional Summit series. In its inaugural year, the programme covered Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Hyderabad. The previous edition expanded its reach to 16 cities. This edition will cover 20 cities. Check out the upcoming city: Dehradun (March 20).

Register here for the Indore summit.