In a bid to unify regional industry voices and push for collective growth, the Small Industries Association (Regd.), Phagwara, and the Chamber of Industrial & Commercial Undertakings (CICU) came together for a joint meeting that brought key industrialists, MSME leaders, and policy experts under one roof.

Held at Hotel Best Western, the meeting focused on building stronger collaboration between associations, addressing challenges faced by small enterprises, and creating new pathways for growth in Punjab’s industrial ecosystem. 

The session was chaired by Pankaj Kaura, President of the Small Industries Association, with support from Secretary Rajneesh Jain and Treasurer Pradeep Dhalla. Chief Guest Upkar Singh Ahuja, President of CICU, was given a ceremonial welcome before delivering his keynote address.

“CICU is always committed to the growth of industry across the region. We believe that a thriving MSME sector is vital for India to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming a 5 trillion economy,” said Ahuja. “Our mission is to facilitate this growth through collaboration, innovation, and effective representation of industry concerns.”

He emphasized that smoother regulatory processes, easier credit access, and stronger export promotion could only be achieved through proactive dialogue between industry associations and policymakers.

The meeting featured practical insights from leading experts. Business strategist Gautam Seekri highlighted digitization and process improvement as tools for scaling operations. Academic and researcher S.B. Singh stressed on academia-industry partnerships to drive innovation in small-scale manufacturing.

Export consultant Sarvjeet Singh shared updates on global trade trends and compliance requirements for MSMEs, while entrepreneur Ajay Bharti called for sustainable practices and value-added production. Young business leader Nikhil Dhand narrated his journey of modernizing industry through youth-led innovation, encouraging MSMEs to embrace transformation.

Reiterating the association’s mission, Kaura said, “This joint meeting with CICU marks a key milestone in our efforts to unite industry voices and develop actionable strategies to overcome operational and policy-related challenges. We are confident that the concerns of small industries will be strongly represented at both state and central government levels.”

The event concluded with an interactive session where members discussed pressing issues such as GST refund delays, rising raw material costs, labour shortages, and poor infrastructure in industrial clusters. A resolution was passed to create a joint task force that will engage with authorities and organize regular workshops for MSMEs.

Prominent industrialists including Rattan Chawla, Surinder Chawla, Surinder Singh Jaswal, Ashok Sethi, Nitin Sahni, Rajeev Verma, Karan Dhalla, Amogh Sobti and Gaurav Dhingra were among the attendees who welcomed the initiative.

The gathering was widely appreciated as a meaningful step toward unity between industrial associations and entrepreneurs, reinforcing Punjab’s position as a stronghold of MSME-driven growth.

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