CII Eastern Region Hosts MSME Business Connect 2026 in Kolkata

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Eastern Region organized MSME Business Connect 2026 on 6 March 2026, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and public sector representatives to discuss growth opportunities for micro, small, and medium enterprises.

During the Inaugural Plenary, Rajesh Pandey, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of West Bengal, addressed the gathering and emphasized the crucial role of MSMEs in driving economic growth, employment generation, and industrial development in the state.

The session also featured remarks from several prominent industry leaders. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Chairman, CII Eastern Region PSU Subcommittee and Chairman & Managing Director of Balmer Lawrie and Co. Ltd., highlighted the need for stronger public sector engagement with MSMEs.

Prithish Chowdhary, Vice Chairman, CII West Bengal State Council and Deputy Managing Director of Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, stressed the importance of strengthening supply chain integration with MSME partners.

Industry perspectives were also shared by Anil Kumar Arora, Executive Director of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Sanjeev Kumar Rastogi, Director (Production) at Braithwaite and Co. Ltd., and Roy Mathew Kurian, Chief Business Officer of M1xchange.

The inaugural plenary set the tone for the day’s deliberations, highlighting the importance of stronger industry linkages, structured procurement frameworks, and institutional collaboration to unlock new growth opportunities for MSMEs. The discussions focused on enabling greater participation of MSMEs in supply chains, improving access to finance, and building a more robust ecosystem for small businesses in Eastern India.