Kolkata, 28th October 2025: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the largest professional body of Chartered Accountants in the world, successfully convened the ‘ICAI MSME Connect: Stakeholders Strategic Meet 2025’.
The event was inaugurated by Smt. Smriti Irani, Former Union Cabinet Minister, Government of India in the presence of CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda, President, ICAI; CA (Dr.) Jai Kumar Batra, Secretary, ICAI; CA Gyan Chandra Misra, Chairman, Committee on MSME & Startups, ICAI, CA. Arpit Jagdish Kabra, Vice-Chairman, Committee on MSME & Startups, ICAI; Central Council Members and Regional Council Members of ICAI.
The meet brought together more than 80 participants including key Stakeholders from Ministries, Regulators, Financial Institutions, Industry Bodies and Incubators from more than 60 organisations across the country. They discussed strategies for accelerating growth and shaping the future of India’s MSME and Start-up ecosystem.
During this landmark event, the ICAI through the Committee on MSME and Start-Up launched the ‘MSME Clinic Programme’, an innovative initiative for handholding and facilitating Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through structured professional support, guidance and awareness.
Conceived as a one-stop facilitation centre, the MSME Clinic offers expert advisory services in finance, compliance, taxation, accounting, digital transformation & business sustainability. Under this programme, MSME Clinics are being inaugurated at 183 ICAI Branches and Regional Offices across the country. Each Clinic will act as a knowledge and support hub connecting local entrepreneurs with ICAI professionals to address their operational and financial challenges.
The Stakeholders’ meet featured high-level deliberations on critical themes shaping the future of India’s entrepreneurial landscape. The event included focused sessions on ICAI’s capacity building and handholding initiatives designed to empower MSMEs through mentorship, financial literacy, and professional support. Stakeholders engaged in-depth discussions addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by MSMEs, ranging from access to finance and infrastructure gaps to regulatory complexities and market linkages, with an emphasis on building financial resilience and operational sustainability. The meet also explored collaborative pathways to strengthen the MSME and start-up ecosystem, fostering strategic partnerships among ministries, regulators, financial institutions, and industry bodies to drive inclusive growth, innovation, and competitiveness.
The Stakeholders meet also witnessed felicitation of Institute of ICAI by World book of Records, Asia Book of Records & India Book of Records for achieving a remarkable milestone of “Maximum MSME Mentorship Felicitations Achieved in a Day.” On June 27, 2025, a total of 19,355 MSME were mentored across different branches of the ICAI.
Dr. Rajeev Shrivastava, Vice President, World Book of Records and Dr. Pradeep Bhardwaj, Adjudicator of the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records, presented the honor to the President ICAI during the stakeholders meet. This dual recognition stands as a testament to ICAI’s continuous efforts and impactful initiatives in supporting and mentoring MSMEs across the country, underscoring its commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and strengthening India’s economic growth through financial literacy, guidance, and professional excellence.
Additionally, Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) were exchanged between
- ICAI and ‘Bharat Connect for Business’, a platform by NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL). It establishes a strategic partnership aimed at promoting digital payments among MSMEs, startups, and ICAI members. Through this collaboration, NBBL will offer its products and services to these stakeholders, while both parties commit to engaging in regular dialogue, sharing ideas, exchanging information and data, and facilitating discussions to strengthen the digital ecosystem and financial inclusion.
- ICAI and ‘Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) IIT Delhi’. It aims for a collaborative partnership, to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and startup growth in India. Under this collaboration, both ICAI and FITT will jointly work towards incubating, accelerating, and supporting startups, while exploring synergies and value addition through shared expertise and networks. The partnership aims to provide startups and MSMEs with access to mentorship, industry linkages, and investor networks, both in India and abroad. It will also facilitate joint programs and workshops in areas such as FinTech, accounting standards, taxation, valuation, and audit preparedness, enhancing the financial and regulatory literacy of emerging entrepreneurs. Through shared infrastructure, resources, and training facilities, both organizations will promote inclusivity and enable startups to benefit from global business-to-business connections and capacity-building initiatives. This collaboration marks a significant step towards nurturing a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem by integrating technological innovation with financial discipline and regulatory excellence
During the ceremony, Smt. Smriti Irani, Former Union Cabinet Minister, Government of India said “Global supply chains today are shaped not just by geography, but by credibility. Compliance will remain the fulcrum on which MSME efforts are sustained. While MSMEs are aware of compliance requirements, many struggle to afford the professional fees needed to meet those benchmarks. Also, ‘Digital India’ is no longer just a nomenclature—it’s a reality. Thus, I am hopeful that the ‘MSME Clinic’ will play a vital role in enabling matchmaking for MSMEs in areas like digitalization and compliance, while also identifying the challenges that hinder their integration into robust global supply chains.”
CA. Charanjot Singh Nanda, President, ICAI addressed the gathering and stated “MSMEs are vital to India’s economic fabric, yet face challenges in finance, infrastructure, and market access. ICAI remains committed to empowering them through financial integrity, capacity building, and tech-driven solutions. Recent tariff reforms have created a fairer domestic landscape, boosting MSME competitiveness and innovation. The launch of ICAI’s MSME Clinics marks a pivotal step in supporting entrepreneurs and driving inclusive growth—aligned with our vision of a self-reliant, globally competitive India and the national goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
On this occasion, CA. Gyan Chandra Misra, Chairman, Committee on MSME & Startup, ICAI, said, “MSMEs face challenges like limited finance, poor infrastructure, and low digital adoption. However, the recent tariff barriers now offer a fairer market, boosting local production and innovation. Adding to this, the MSME Clinic will guide small enterprises with expert support, financial literacy, and access to schemes—turning local ambition into global competitiveness.”
The inauguration of the MSME Clinics stands as a significant step in ICAI’s mission to strengthen the MSME sector, promote entrepreneurship, and contribute meaningfully to India’s journey toward becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047.The ICAI remains devoted to the cause of India’s economic empowerment.