Latest news with #WorldMSMEDay
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
AI, Omnichannel, and Bharat-First Growth Power India's Startups: Meta-A&M Report
On World MSME Day, Meta and Alvarez & Marsal India released a report spotlighting six growth levers reshaping Indian startups: AI adoption, cross-border expansion, omnichannel presence, Tier 2/3 market focus, category diversification, and creator-led branding. Over 70% of startups are leveraging AI, while 67% have embraced omnichannel strategies. Nearly all are expanding into Tier 2/3 cities, and 52% are going global. With insights from 100 high-growth startups, the report reveals how digital tools and localized strategies are powering India's next wave of entrepreneurial growth—making scale, speed, and sustainability central to the country's evolving startup narrative.
Sinar Daily
02-07-2025
- Business
- Sinar Daily
Alliance Bank launches Malaysia's first SME business pitch film to inspire entrepreneurial resilience
SHAH ALAM - Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad made history with the launch of The Ultimate Elevator Pitch, Malaysia's first feature-length SME business pitch documentary, offering a cinematic portrayal of entrepreneurship. Streaming exclusively on iQIYI from July 18, the film highlights the real-life journeys of 13 entrepreneurs from the 2024 BizSmart® Challenge: Accelerator Edition. In conjunction with World MSME Day, Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad unveiled The Ultimate Elevator Pitch, a pioneering feature-length documentary spotlighting the entrepreneurial journeys of 13 finalists from the 2024 BizSmart® Challenge. This milestone initiative represents a convergence of business development, cinematic storytelling and digital media, making it the first of its kind in Malaysia. The film, directed by Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ampersand Advisory, Sandeep Joseph, offers rare behind-the-scenes access to high-stakes business pitches, mentorship sessions and the personal challenges encountered by SME founders. The Ultimate Elevator Pitch is available on iQIYI on July 18. "We see entrepreneurs as heroes and that is how we approached this movie. It is raw, relatable and relevant. These are the stories of Malaysia's future business leaders, told without filter," Sandeep said. Alliance Bank Group CEO, Kellee Kam, described the film as a portrait of resilience and ambition. "It is a celebration of the changemakers building our future. For over a decade, we have supported entrepreneurs beyond financial services. This movie invites the public to witness the grit, vulnerability and determination behind Malaysia's SME founders," Kam said. The documentary also serves as a prelude to the 2025 BizSmart® Business Conference (ABBBC), scheduled for Oct 7 at W Kuala Lumpur. Themed "Boundaries Reimagined", the conference will bring together over 35 speakers, including high-growth founders, seasoned investors and BizSmart® alumni such as Timothy Tiah, Winnie Loo, Radius Khor, Mah Jun Kit, Nor Arieni and Dr Jay. Topics will range from cross-border expansion to digital disruption and resilient brand building. The 2024 BizSmart® Challenge marked its 10th anniversary with the introduction of the Accelerator Edition, drawing a record-breaking 593 submissions. It included a multi-stage evaluation; a four-day accelerator programme, a 60-second Elevator Pitch and a final pitch to a panel of industry leaders. Every finalist received a prize, with BioLoop, Gula Cakery, and HiiVolt emerging as the top three, collectively earning a share of RM550,000. Highlighting its role as a pioneer in SME financing, Alliance Bank extended its support through a suite of financial tools beyond conventional banking. These included venture capital via 1337 Ventures and 5X Capital and funding from Cradle's MYStartup and Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia Berhad (CGC). In line with current digital consumption trends, the film will stream exclusively on iQIYI. Head of Brand Partnerships, APAC & Middle East at iQIYI Evangeline Song said this was the first time a bank-led SME initiative has been transformed into a cinematic experience that balances heart and ambition. "It highlights the highs, lows and spirit of local founders who are taking bold steps to shape their future," Song said. The idea for The Ultimate Elevator Pitch was sparked by a single insight: entrepreneurship is not just strategy — it is deeply emotional. "This is more than a celebration of success. It is a visual archive and story of what it takes to build a business in today's Malaysia," Sandeep added. Alliance Bank reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive entrepreneurial growth through its early bird promotion for ABBBC 2025, with ticket prices starting at RM88 until July 3. The conference aimed to facilitate networking, business matching and dissemination of strategic insights for SME development. For more information on the BizSmart® Challenge, visit To watch The Ultimate Elevator Pitch, visit iQIYI starting July 18. For details on the 2025 BizSmart® Business Conference, visit
Business Upturn
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Cybersecurity Becomes Top Priority for Small Businesses
As India's digital economy expands, a new report released on World MSME Day indicates that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are increasingly prioritizing cybersecurity and cloud investments to enhance operational efficiency. The 'Ready for Next MSME Growth Insights Study 2025', published by Vi Business, highlights a steady uptick in the country's Digital Maturity Index (DMI) — rising from 56.6 in 2023 to 58.0 in 2025. The study shows that 76% of MSMEs plan to ramp up investment in cybersecurity, while over 72% intend to boost cloud spending. However, the report also underscores that only 12% of MSMEs have achieved full digital maturity, indicating that despite high awareness, the adoption of digital tools remains uneven. South Indian states lead in digital transformation, with Telangana topping the DMI chart at 71.2, followed by Kerala (63.7) and Maharashtra (59.2). Sector-wise, Financial Services has the highest digital maturity, followed by Transportation and Retail. Participation in Vi Business's 'Ready for Next' digital maturity assessment platform has grown significantly, with over 2 lakh MSMEs across 15,000 pin codes engaging in the program over the last three years. The platform has been certified by Cyber Media Research as the country's largest digital advisory initiative for MSMEs. The study highlights a shift from 'digital curiosity to digital commitment,' said Arvind Nevatia, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at Vodafone Idea Ltd. He noted that MSMEs are now seeing technology as a 'growth enabler' rather than a cost or utility. Interestingly, women entrepreneurs are narrowing the digital gap, showing strong participation in cloud and security adoption in sectors like IT and education. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs aged 40–60 reported the highest digital maturity (DMI: 64.0), debunking the perception that digital leadership is confined to younger founders. Despite these positive trends, the study identifies financial capacity as a key barrier to deeper digital adoption. Larger MSMEs, particularly those with turnovers above ₹50 crore, report significantly greater maturity than smaller or newer businesses, many of whom continue to adopt digital tools in a phased manner. The findings reflect both optimism and ongoing challenges in India's path toward digitalizing its MSME backbone. While intent is clearly rising, a combination of financial support and digital advisory will be crucial to translating this momentum into widespread transformation. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
CairoScene
30-06-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
MSMEDA Disburses LE 57.5 Billion in SME Project Funding Over 11 Years
Since 2014, Egypt's SME Development Agency (MSMEDA) has provided LE 57.5 billion in funding, helping launch millions of jobs and driving regional growth. Jun 30, 2025 The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) has announced that it has disbursed a total of LE 57.5 billion in project funding to micro, small, and medium enterprises from July 2014 through May 2025. The figure, representing a marked increase from pre‑2014 levels, highlights MSMEDA's intensified commitment following directives from President Abdel Fattah El‑Sisi. According to MSMEDA CEO Bassel Rahmy, the agency's investment has supported the creation of over 3.4 million jobs across Egypt, with nearly half of funds - 47% - allocated to governorates in Upper Egypt to spur regional development. The announcement, made to coincide with World MSME Day on June 27th, emphasised the agency's multifaceted approach: combining accessible funding schemes with entrepreneurship training, tax incentives, informal sector regularisation, and licensing services. Technical support and marketing platforms such as 1,441 exhibitions - including one that drove over LE 2.1 billion in sales - further underscore MSMEDA's ecosystem-building efforts. MSMEDA also flagged key 2025 milestones, including the rollout of Law No. 6, which simplifies tax reporting for SMEs with turnover up to LE 20 million. The law enables a tiered turnover tax starting as low as 0.4%, alongside stamp duty waivers.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
UBI offers loan under CM Yuva Scheme
Lucknow: Union Bank of India, Lucknow zone, participated in the World MSME Day through unique lending proposition under the ambitious CM Yuva Scheme. Led by zonal head, UBI Lucknow Rajesh Kumar (general manager), the bank sanctioned loan of Rs 5 lakh to Garima Pandey for setting up a library for students in both digital as well as offline modes. The library aims to cater to wide section of students with academic as well as historical content. Pandey was presented with the cheque by CM Yogi Adityanath during the event at Lok Bhawan on Friday in presence of bank officials Rajesh Kumar, Markandey Yadav (regional head, Lucknow north) and Himanshu Mishra (regional head, Lucknow south). The bank officials later conducted an "MSME outreach & interaction meeting" with Indian Industry Association, Barabanki Chapter. Around 65 entrepreneurs participated in the event.
