PHDCCI today organized the Global Summit on Sustainability MSMEs – Small Businesses, Big Impact at Le Meridien, focused on MSMEs’ role in sustainable growth and addressing global climate challenges.
Dr. Ashok Kumar, Deputy Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, GoI Ministry of Power spoke on MSMEs’ contribution to 50% of India’s exports and employment for 11-12 crore people. He further discussed that six out of nine climate boundaries have been breached, and emphasised the need for urgent action.
Mr. R.R. Rashmi, Fmr. Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, GoI highlighted the lack of SEBI and CSR mandates for MSMEs and advocated for introducing green ratings and procurement policies to support them in green growth.
Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & Secretary General, PHDCCI, discussed the entrepreneurial prowess of Indian startups, proposing the creation of sustainability parks as similar to Taiwan’s plastic ecoparks and PHDCCI’s role in leading this green initiatives for MSMEs.
Dr R K Singh, CGM, Green Climate Finance Vertical, SIDBI emphasized the importance of the Green Vertical launched in 2022 to support MSMEs’ sustainable practices. And discussed on the SIDBI’s 4E and Green Financing schemes aimed at easing the adoption of green measures within the MSME ecosystem.
Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Former DG, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Sr. Adviser, Deloitte India and Dua Associates, who moderated the plenary session on integrating CSR into core business strategies, emphasized MSMEs’ growing role in sustainability, aided by an enabling environment.
Mr. Jeevaraj Pillai, Director – Sustainability, UFlex Limited stressed integrating corporate social responsibility into business strategies and UFlex’s commitment to supporting MSMEs.
Mr Rajesh Ayapilla, Senior Director, PACS – Sustainability & CSR, Coca Cola India, discussed their focus on water conservation, packaging, and sustainable agriculture, which extends beyond the usual CSR mandates.
Mr. Saurabh Diddi, Director, Bureau of Energy Efficiency from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency linked climate change to recent environmental crises and discussed India’s evolving carbon market, including the Compliance and Offset Mechanisms.
Ms Dia Mirza, Actor, Producer, United Nations Secretary General’s Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals & United Nations Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador, through her virtual address emphasized the importance of aligning MSMEs with the UN SDGs to enhance competitiveness and drive global sustainability efforts. She further praised PHDCCI for empowering MSMEs to contribute to a greener future.
Dr. Jatinder Singh, Deputy Secretary General, PHDCCI, delivered the vote of thanks and discussed that every individual is a stakeholder in sustainability efforts.
The summit was attended by key industry leaders and policymakers, featuring stalls showcasing sustainable solutions, reinforcing MSMEs’ critical role in driving green growth.
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