Manufacturing Reimagined: Inaugural Session Highlights

The inaugural session of “Manufacturing Reimagined: Build Better. Build Beyond.”, organised by SME Communities in collaboration with FIEO, set a sharp and strategic tone for India’s electronics manufacturing ambitions. At its core was a defining question: can India’s electronics SMEs evolve into globally competitive suppliers within the next three years?

Bringing together senior policymakers and industry leaders, the session delivered a grounded yet forward-looking view on what it will take to achieve this transition. The dialogue was structured around four critical pillars: trade architecture, smart finance, ecosystem capability and risk governance.

Opening the session, Mr. Prashant Laxmeshwar, Founding Director, Amanha Idealabs elaborated the need for a special themed conference on SMEs in electronics manufacturing industry and how this segment can play a major role in the Indian economy in the days to come.

In the welcome address, Mr. K. Unnikrishnan, Joint Director General, FIEO, underscored a fundamental shift in global trade dynamics. Electronics exports, he noted, are no longer driven by opportunistic shipments but by sustained compliance, certification discipline and long-term market positioning. For Indian SMEs, this means moving beyond assembly to deeper value addition, strengthening quality frameworks and building credibility in regulated international markets.

From the policy lens, Chief Guest Smt. Dona Ghosh, Joint DGFT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, highlighted that India’s foreign trade ecosystem has become increasingly digital, transparent and facilitative. With digitised DGFT systems, faster approvals and a range of export promotion schemes already in place, the opportunity is significant. However, she pointed out that awareness and effective utilisation of these policy tools remain a critical gap for many SMEs aspiring to scale globally.

Adding a financial perspective, Mr. Manish Upadhyay, Head – Products, Business Banking, IDFC FIRST Bank, emphasised that while SMEs are securing global orders, challenges around forex volatility, receivable cycles and margin pressures often limit their ability to convert opportunities into sustained growth. Structured working capital, hedging strategies and advisory-led banking, he noted, are now essential capabilities rather than optional tools.

The Inaugural session made it clear that India’s electronics manufacturing growth will depend not just on opportunity, but on execution across policy, finance and risk frameworks. Watch the full inaugural session