Strengthening the role of MSMEs in Generating Sustainable employment for Skilled youth in India’ : conversation organised by Prayas

New Delhi, venue India Habitat Center

When a variety of experts in different domains meet, ideas fly back and forth till they find a soft landing.
Soft but not always comfortable,
As the organisers of the conclave titled ‘Strengthening the role of MSMEs in Generating Sustainable employment for Skilled youth in India’ at India Habitat Centre discovered on Thursday April 29,2026.
This program was the latest in the series of conversations organised by the Prayas JAC Society led by Mr Amod K Kanth Founder and Mentor and India Habitat Centre led by the dynamic director Dr KG Suresh.
The participants included Government officials, NGOs, leaders of MSMEs,entrepreneurs and experts from banks, the ILO and others who had somethimg to talk about their own experiences.

Addressing the gathering Mr Amod K Kanth emphasized the linkages between the MSMEs that provide skills to the youth preparing them for employment and the civil society organisations numbering 3.7 million that are in touch with ground realities which can help in providing scalable and demand led ivelihood models.

One of the panelits Ms Jaya Awasthi, Head and Principal CEO on Skills and Livelihood with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) empahised the need for branding of the MSMEs, better integration with industry stronger HR support as key to better employment and self entrepreneurship.

Mr Deepak Khattar, Director Business Sphere Magazine said that it was the MSMEs that were driving the GDP growth of the country, exports and employment, especially in rural India. He said that addressing the gaps between finance, skill and technology were the key to a successful employment generation ecosystem.

The tone for the engrossing and hugely relevant program had been set up Nishant Sharma,Additional Director Prayas Institute of Economics Empowerment who stated that the country’s demographic strength must translate into livelihoods in which MSMEs played a huge role but there were gaps between the industry linkages and policy convergence that must be addressed.

Speaking as the expert from the ILO, Ms Bharti Birla, Enterprise Development Specialist asserted that MSMEs were providing 66 per cent jobs globally but most of it remained informal.

She said that finance access, apprenticeships and inclusion of women and youth were the key to getting desired results.

Supporting her Ms Mamta Gandhi, Senior Consultant RBI said that strengthening credit flow, cluster finance, and positive government schemes were helping MSMEs to grow.

Striking a discordant note, Mr Vikas Pal, CEO Aranya Advertising and Startup stories said that everyone talked only of sucess stories but stories of failures of a large number of startups creating mental stress and depression among the youth was never talked about.

Mr Nadeem Akhtar, representing AV Baliga Turst said that NGOs must go beyond vocational training to provide entrepreneurship and life skills for sustainable MSME growth.

Ms Gargi, from UNICEF said that low awareness about government schemes and opportunities in states like Bihar limited the options for MSMEs in providing employment opportunities and this gap must be filled up.

Having listened to all the speakers patiently for over two houurs Mr RK Rai, Additional Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro , Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) explained that a proper registration with the MSME Ministry was the magic key to most of the problems raised at the convention.

He said that low grassroot awareness called for stronger outreach and collaborations.