MUMBAI: Vodafone Idea, in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Ministry of MSMEs and other tech giants like Intel, Dell, HP, WhatsApp, and Banking Partner YES BANK have already initiated an exclusive digital project TECHSAKSHAM- focused on supporting MSMEs in India to become tech-enabled. Aligned with the Ministry’s aspiration of generating value-added employment, TECHSAKSHAM will address barriers faced by MSMEs in their growth and expansion. The initiative aims to bridge the gap in technology adoption through exceptional technology-driven services of VIBS and a gamut of digital-first solutions and partnerships.
TECHSAKSHAM, in its first phase, will focus on sectors that have a tendency to respond positively to adopting technology, while also creating a larger discussion in other MSME clusters. The project is envisioned to create a movement that will have a long-term impact on the MSMEs in India. Partners will extend its technology expertise in building a stable platform that will enable, SME Policy Advocacy, Tech Awareness and Technology-driven Workshops in 10 cities for tier 1 and tier 2 MSMEs. Additionally, partners are getting into an agreement with CII to build a Technology Portal to further strengthen the project.
Mr Shreekant Somany, Chairman, CII National MSME Council emphasized the need to empower MSMEs harness the next-gen technologies for sustainable growth in the global marketplace. “While MSMEs have started entering the era of Industry 4.0, the pace has been slow. Adoption of upgraded technology is usually witnessed in the medium segment of MSMEs which have the requisite resources required for the adoption of advanced technology. The phenomenon is less common in the small and micro-segments. To promote and popularise adoption of technology by the MSMEs, CII along with its Industry Partners have undertaken a massive sensitization campaign for it’s MSME members which constitutes 67% of the total membership of 9000+ through Project TECHSAKSHAM,” he said.
Commenting on the partnership, Ajay Sehgal, SVP- SME and SoHo, Vodafone Idea Business Services said, “The growth of MSMEs is critical to realise the goal of 5 trillion dollar economy by 2025. It is imperative for MSMEs to embark on the digital journey, adopt new technologies and achieve sustainable competitiveness. We are pleased to be associated with TECHSAKSHAM and firmly believe it is a great platform led by MSME ministry, CII and supported by Tech partners that gives MSMEs an opportunity to access and avail new technologies with ease. Our wide array of digital-first solutions and tools allows us to partner Small businesses to create their digital identity and provide a strong backbone in projects such as this, led by MSME ministry and CII.”
Through various policy recommendations, knowledge sessions, mentoring initiatives, and useful resource banks for MSMEs, TECHSAKSHAM will help the ecosystem address critical barriers such as awareness and cost of technology, purchase or maintenance, resources, and manpower required to run the technologies, return on investments, etc.
