Vadodara to host ET Make in India SME Regional Summit on February 20

Vadodara, the cultural capital of Gujarat, is set to host the next ET Make in India SME Regional Summit on February 20, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and entrepreneurs on a single platform.

Vadodara boasts a strong ecosystem of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in sectors such as chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and manufacturing. The robust industrial base makes it an ideal destination for a summit focused on strengthening India’s MSME backbone.

The city provides seamless connectivity, strong supply chains, and access to global markets. Industrial estates such as Makarpura GIDC, Nandesari GIDC, and Savli GIDC have played a key role in nurturing SMEs in the region, enabling them to expand their operations both domestically and globally.


The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit in Vadodara will be held under the theme “Vibrant Vadodara: Leading and leveraging Gujarat’s industrial ecosystem”.

Register here for the Vadodara Summit.

The summit in Vadodara will begin with a keynote address by Hemang Joshi, Member of Parliament, Vadodara, on the topic “Gujarat’s growth model: Policy, infrastructure & enterprise”.

K. V. Mori, General Manager, District Industries Center (DIC), will take the stage next to deliver a special address on the topic “District-driven development: Catalysing industry in Vadodara”.

This will be followed by a panel discussion on the topic “Industrial strength to industrial leadership: Powering the next phase of growth” will follow the fireside chat. The panellists include: Darshana Thakkar, National President-Entrepreneurship Development Council at WICCI; Jaydeep Modi, President, Federation of Small-Scale Industries; Swapnil Nigam, Chief Manager, NSIC Surat and Himanshu Mehta, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Palvi Industries Ltd.

“For Vadodara’s MSMEs to take the lead, rather than just participate, platforms like this Summit are essential to drive governance, innovation, and long-term strategic thinking,” says Thakkar, who is also the Founder of Transformation -The StrategyHUB. “This Summit brings policymakers, financiers, and entrepreneurs onto a single platform—creating the clarity and collaboration that MSMEs need to thrive in the next phase of industrial growth,” she adds.

Then, there will be a fireside chat by Archana Kambli, Dy. General Manager from Ahmedabad RO, The New India Assurance Co. Limited on the topic, “Empowering MSMEs Through Comprehensive Insurance: Bridging the Protection Gap with New India Assurance”.

Next, the summit will feature a mini panel on the topic, “From factory floors to founders’ boards: The new entrepreneurial wave”; the panellists include Deepen Barai, Founder, Director, Speedforce EV; Deep Shah, Founder & CEO, Cital and Naimmish Raval, Co-Founder; Director, AmpVolts.

Neehar Pathare, MD, CEO & CIO, 63SATS Cybertech will then join the stage for Leadership Address.

The summit will conclude with an address by C. S. Arya, General Manager, IDBI Bank.

The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit serves as a platform providing networking opportunities to local small businesses and industry leaders, where they can engage, connect, and have an open dialogue regarding the challenges facing these small businesses and their future growth roadmap.

The ET SME summit in Vadodara 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 and 63SATS Cybertech as the Cybersecurity Partner. The programme is supported by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Register here for the Vadodara Summit.