From Opinions Desk

MSME is a vibrant industry segment in India. Reportedly, it generates the maximum employment running into millions of jobs. With the evolution of Smart techs, this segment is also facing the challenge to evolve with the changing tech world. It is a diverse and varied segment comprising of unorganised and organised enterprises which range from very small to farely medium sized organisations.

On the World MSME Day, several industry leaders have expressed their comments about the evolutions taking place in this segment –

“World MSME Day is a good time to reflect that India’s infrastructure transformation is being built not just by large corporations, but also by specialised companies with the expertise to operate where the stakes are highest. India’s power transmission and distribution sector is one of the most demanding environments for technology deployment, where surveillance blind spots, network failures; and security gaps carry serious consequences. Yet it remains one of the most underserved when it comes to high-end, purpose-built IP surveillance and IT infrastructure. As the country accelerates grid modernisation, industrial digitisation and smart infrastructure development, the need for intelligent, integrated and resilient technology solutions is apparent. This includes IP surveillance, perimeter intrusion detection, enterprise networking, network security and end-to-end audio-visual infrastructure. The opportunity for specialised technology companies to lead this transformation is enormous and MSMEs that combine deep domain expertise with precise execution are uniquely positioned to leverage it, not as vendors, but as long-term infrastructure partners.

—Ravindra Singh, MD, Delcom Telesystems

“India’s MSMEs do not just contribute to the economy, they are the economy. Behind every small business is an owner who wears multiple hats, manages cash flows, navigates compliance and still finds a way to grow. On World MSME Day, we want to acknowledge that journey; and the role technology can play in making it a little less overwhelming.

At Busy Infotech, we have seen firsthand how AI-powered accounting can change the day-to-day reality for a small business owner. It is not about replacing human effort; it is about freeing people from repetitive tasks so they can focus on what actually matters. These my be growing their business, serving their customers and building something of which they are proud.

GST compliance, reconciliation and financial reporting should not be sources of stress for someone running a small enterprise. With the right tools, they do not have to be. That is the future we are working towards. The one where every MSME in India, regardless of size or resources, has access to intelligent, affordable and genuinely useful business management solutions.”

—Brijesh Agarwal, CEO, Busy Infotech

“MSMEs today are navigating rising costs, uncertain markets and the transformative impact of AI on business models. Amidst this, the focus of World MSME Day this year on human-centered entrepreneurship in an AI-driven future feels especially relevant. For many growing businesses, the challenge is not whether to be present on digital channels, but how to make those channels work together in a way that feels seamless for the customer and manageable for lean teams. Our CX Maturity 2026 report shows that only 58% of brands say their channels are fully in sync. This highlights a gap that can slow responses, break context, and limit growth.

At Infobip, we believe agentic AI should solve this problem in a practical way. With Infobip AgentOS, businesses can bring AI agents, customer data, and communication channels into a single operating layer, enabling connected, contextual journeys across WhatsApp, RCS, voice, email and chat in real time. This is especially important for MSMEs, where every missed inquiry or disconnected handoff can mean a lost opportunity. By automating routine interactions, escalating more complex conversations with full context and helping teams orchestrate customer journeys more intelligently, Infobip AgentOS enables businesses to scale customer engagement without scaling complexity.

On World MSME Day, we reaffirm our commitment to helping the next generation of enterprises use AI not just to become more efficient but also to become more responsive, more connected, and more human in the way they engage customers.”

—Harsha Solanki, VP GM Asia, Infobip

“On MSME Day, we acknowledge the businesses that form the backbone of our economy, but recognition alone is not enough. The next step for MSMEs is not just growth, it is the ownership. Ownership of their data, their customer relationships, and their digital future. True digital sovereignty for MSMEs means having the tools to compete on their own terms, not dependent on platforms that extract more value than they create. At mFilterIt, we believe every MSME deserves not just access to the digital economy, but a stake in it. Because when small businesses own their digital destiny, the entire economy wins.”

—Amit Relan, Founder and CEO, mFilterIt

“India’s MSMEs continue to evolve and innovate as the backbone of our digital economy, and this year’s theme rightly places human-centred entrepreneurship at the heart of the global AI conversation. As AI becomes embedded in everyday business, it is unlocking new opportunities for MSMEs to scale, improve productivity and deliver more meaningful outcomes.

That said, the true enabler of this transformation is data. In a digital-first economy, data powers every decision, customer engagement and innovation. To effectively translate AI into real impact, MSMEs depend on structured, reliable and scalable data storage capabilities. With data volumes expanding through AI training cycles, real-time inference and continuously generated application data, the ability to store, manage, and access information becomes critical not just for efficiency, but for enabling smarter decisions, personalised experiences and long-term competitiveness, while ensuring that innovation remains inclusive and human-focused.

At WD, we believe that empowering MSMEs with a strong data foundation is key to building a more resilient and future-ready AI ecosystem. Our storage solutions are designed to help businesses securely capture, preserve, and unlock the full value of their data, ensuring technology serves people. This is how we see human-centred entrepreneurship come to life, enabling MSMEs to not just adopt AI, but lead with it.”

—Owais Mohammed, Sales Director, India, West Asia and Africa, WD

The above comments show that the industry is ery optimistic about the promise of the MSME segment and is willing to work hand in hand with it.