Hyderabad, August 20, 2025: The Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FTCCI), in collaboration with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), organised a half-day seminar on Empowering MSMEs through Strategic Finance and Marketing Excellence at Federation House on Wednesday.
Delivering the keynote address, V.V.R. Prasad, DGM, SIDBI, Hyderabad, said MSMEs play a pivotal role in the national economy by significantly contributing to exports and employment. He elaborated on several sector-specific SIDBI schemes: TUF Scheme – for the textile sector; Green Financing – for sustainable business practices; AHIDF Scheme – for the food sector; SHWAS Scheme – for healthcare enterprises; SMILE (SIDBI Make in India Soft Loan Fund for MSMEs); Ubharte Sitaare – for export-oriented MSMEs with high potential; STHAPAN – for greenfield manufacturing/service units; SAATH – supports MSMEs promoted by SC/ST entrepreneurs and ARJANA – dedicated to women-led MSMEs
He also spoke about general schemes on technology upgradation, working capital, credit guarantee support, and SIDBI’s digital initiatives, such as PSB Loans in 59 Minutes and the Jan Samarth portal, designed to enhance credit access for MSMEs.
Welcoming the participants, R. Ravi Kumar, President, FTCCI, said “The road ahead for MSMEs is challenging. They need the right tools and strategies to withstand global pressures like tariff threats. MSMEs are critical in making India stronger and globally competitive.
Ravi Kumar further said that, in the current era, Trump’s Tariff threats can only be withstood by a strong nation like India. MSMEs play a huge role in making India even stronger and more future-ready. Together, we make India stronger and the Trump Tariff threat-free. Knowledge must be shared democratically—seminars like this are an important step.”
Premchand Kankaria, Chairman, Banking, Finance & Insurance Committee, FTCCI, in his introductory remarks, said MSMEs—while being the backbone of the Indian economy—face challenges in accessing affordable capital and becoming digital-ready. “They need cost-effective digital marketing strategies and easy credit facilities for survival and growth. FTCCI has always been at the forefront in equipping MSMEs with the required ammunition for progress,” he said.
Kiran Babu, Founder of Rava.ai and mentor to startups at ISB, IIT Mandi, T-Hub, BIMTECH, spoke on Digital Marketing Foundations and Cost-Effective Strategies. Speaking, he said, Marketing is not sales—it is about creating awareness and making the sales team’s job easy. In the era of ChatGPT, Digital Marketing Agencies are losing their relevance, particularly in content management. The cost of hiring such agencies has dropped to one-tenth. Today, your website is your business card. Google and social media ads work, but content must be exclusive, hyper-personal, multi-lingual, and video-first.”
He added, “This is the era of social videos. Consumer appetite has shifted—text messages are ignored, and only video content is well-received. As AI reshapes industries, collaboration between technology and marketing professionals becomes more critical than ever.”
The seminar also included sessions on Financial Planning and Credit Management for MSMEs and an Overview of SIDBI Financial Schemes.
K.K. Maheshwari, FTCCI, proposed the vote of thanks.