With Mukesh Gulati, ED FMC; Rakesh Rewari, Jury Member BMO Awards; Asim Sharma, WWF India; Padma Shri Nila Madhab Panda; Dr Nidhi Pundhir, HCLTech & HCLFoundation
New Delhi: As sustainability shifts from compliance obligation to competitive imperative, India’s MSME ecosystem is confronting a pivotal question: how to finance the green transition at scale. The 9th Responsible Business Membership Organisations (BMO) Awards, organised by Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC), sought to address precisely that challenge.
Bringing together policymakers, financial institutions, Business Membership Organisations (BMOs), development partners and MSMEs, the platform has evolved into a national forum where sustainability is examined not as rhetoric but as operational strategy. This year’s edition sharpened its focus on green finance, cluster-led industrial transformation and institutional collaboration.
In a notable departure from conventional industry gatherings, the event itself was designed as a carbon-neutral programme. Sunkonnect partnered as Carbon Neutral Partner, while WWF India served as Knowledge Partner—underscoring the organisers’ intent to embed climate accountability into both dialogue and delivery.
The message was unambiguous: sustainable growth cannot be aspirational; it must be measurable.
Opening the proceedings, Shri Ajay Shankar, Chairman of FMC, emphasised the developmental role of BMOs in shaping resilient MSME clusters.
“MSMEs are the backbone of India’s economy and a major driver of employment,” he observed, arguing that structured collaboration among enterprises, think tanks, NGOs and policymakers can materially reshape India’s growth trajectory. With access to affordable green energy and increasing certification of renewable electricity, he suggested, Indian MSMEs are well positioned to expand exports—particularly to sustainability-conscious markets such as the European Union.
An international dimension was added by Smt. Smita Singh of the EU Delegation to India, who highlighted expanding EU–India cooperation in climate finance and clean industrial development.
Industry and financial leaders reinforced the urgency of systemic reform. Smt. Amita Sarkar of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) spoke about enabling green finance adoption across industrial ecosystems, while Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya, Chairman and Managing Director of the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), stressed strengthening financial frameworks to align MSME supply chains with sustainability mandates.
Delivering the inaugural address, Chief Guest Shri Dhiraj Mathur underlined that India’s MSME base—contributing nearly one-third of GDP—must convert sustainability into investment momentum. “Green finance must be affordable, simplified and accessible,” he noted, particularly for cluster-based enterprises that anchor employment and exports.
A highlight of the inaugural session was the launch of the Diagnostic Study Report on the Panipat Recycled Textile Cluster, prepared by FMC in collaboration with Reverse Resources and SUSTENT Consulting, supported by Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida).
The report outlines pathways for integrating circular economy principles, enhancing traceability systems, improving resource efficiency and enabling decarbonisation across textile MSMEs. Importantly, it also identifies financing frameworks that can enhance the global competitiveness of India’s recycling sector—an industry under increasing scrutiny from international buyers.
A high-level panel titled “Unlocking Green Finance for India’s MSMEs” examined definitional ambiguities and structural barriers that continue to impede capital flow into sustainable projects.
Participants included Shri Ajay Kumar Kapur (FMC Board of Trustees), Dr. Pawan Singh of Amphi Green Solutions, Shri Saurabh Bansal of Axis Bank, Shri Nilotpal Pathak of Sagacia Growth Partners, and Shri Satyaki Rastogi of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
The panel converged on three priorities: establishing structured green taxonomies, improving lender–industry coordination and enhancing MSME awareness of sustainability-linked financial products.
Complementing the discussion was a Green Finance Pitch Clinic, where MSMEs engaged directly with financial institutions including HSBC Business Banking and Axis Bank, signalling a practical shift from dialogue to deal-making.
The Awards and Closing Ceremony celebrated BMOs and enterprises demonstrating excellence in environmental stewardship and inclusive development. Chief Guest Shri Manoj Tiwari, Member of Parliament, emphasised the need for practical sustainability frameworks aligned with industry realities.
The dais featured distinguished voices including Nila Madhab Panda, sustainability advocate and National Award-winning filmmaker; Dr. Nidhi Pundhir of HCLTech & HCL Foundation; Shri Asim Sharma of WWF India; and Shri Rakesh Rewari, former Deputy Managing Director of SIDBI.
In his concluding remarks, Shri Mukesh Gulati, Executive Director of FMC, underscored collaboration as the core driver of systemic change. “When BMOs, policymakers, financial institutions and development partners work together, sustainability becomes scalable,” he said.
The ceremony also marked the release of the “Super 16” publication, documenting case studies of organisations advancing responsible practices across India’s MSME clusters.
Since its inception in 2015, the Responsible BMO Awards have evolved into India’s first dedicated platform recognising membership organisations championing responsible business conduct among MSMEs.
The overarching takeaway from this year’s conference was clear: sustainable MSME growth will not emerge from isolated initiatives. It demands coordinated policy frameworks, accessible green finance, institutional capacity building and industry-led execution.
For a sector that underpins employment, exports and regional development, the stakes are high. The conversation in New Delhi signalled that India’s MSME ecosystem is increasingly prepared to view sustainability not as cost, but as catalyst.
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