India’s MSMEs at the Threshold of a Manufacturing Revolution — Nivruti Rai’s Call for a New Industrial Mindset

For decades, India’s rise has been defined by its roaring services economy — a global IT powerhouse, a digitally forward consumer market, and a startup ecosystem bursting with innovation. But today, a deeper shift is underway. Nations are rebuilding supply chains for resilience. Technology is reshaping industrial dominance. And India now stands at a pivotal moment in its economic evolution.

This moment — and the urgency it carries — took center stage when Nivruti Rai, Managing Director & CEO of Invest India, addressed business and industry leaders at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). With an illustrious career across advanced semiconductor innovation and AI-led research, Rai brought a lens of practical futurism to India’s growth conversation.

Manufacturing: India’s Path to a Stronger and Self-Reliant Economy

Rai’s message was clear and unequivocal: India’s economic future cannot rest solely on services and consumption. To double the nation’s GDP and truly compete on the world stage, India must scale domestic manufacturing and rebuild supply chains rooted firmly within the country.

She noted that recent global crises — from semiconductor shortages to logistics disruptions — have exposed the vulnerabilities of relying heavily on a handful of international suppliers. India needs to not just participate in manufacturing but lead in it. And that leadership must come from the country’s most powerful yet underutilized economic engine — its micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Rai emphasized that MSMEs, which sustain livelihoods across the country and significantly contribute to exports, must now shift toward technology-driven production models. With innovation, capital, and stronger industry linkages, they can evolve into globally competitive players powering India’s long-term industrial resilience.

KYO & KYI: Bridging Indian Innovation with Global Capital

To accelerate this transformation, Rai showcased Invest India’s ambitious initiative — KYO & KYI (Know Your Opportunity and Know Your Investors).

This curated global matchmaking platform aims to connect Indian businesses with investors, technology partners, and overseas markets more efficiently than ever before. Whether it is licensing support, scaling know-how, or strategic global alliances, the initiative intends to fast-track MSME access to the world economy.

The idea reflects a new era for Indian enterprises — one where they no longer wait to be discovered, but actively position themselves at the center of global industry.

The Big Bets: Seven High-Growth Sectors Ready for Takeoff

Looking ahead, Rai spotlighted seven sectors in which India holds extraordinary potential to scale rapidly — automotive, electric vehicles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, genetics, biology-driven innovation, and clean energy.

In these fields, India now presents one of the world’s most attractive investment destinations — supported by stable policies, thriving market demand, and a strong focus on innovation-led growth. Investors aren’t just eyeing India; they are increasingly prioritizing it.

Industry and Government: A Unified Mission

Welcoming Rai, PHDCCI President Rajeev Juneja reiterated the crucial role that collaboration must play in shaping India’s industrial journey. He emphasized that empowering MSMEs through technology adoption and financial support is essential to unlocking India’s true industrial potential.

Juneja noted that India’s competitiveness on the world stage will depend on how well national investment priorities align with grassroots capabilities — a sentiment that echoed Rai’s push for self-reliant manufacturing.

A Turning Point for India’s Industrial Identity

The conversation between Invest India and PHDCCI signaled a unified commitment to building a future where businesses of every size can scale stronger, faster, and globally. It underscored a national mission — to deepen global partnerships while strengthening Indian innovation at home.

India’s future economic narrative will not only be written in boardrooms and investment corridors — but within the countless MSMEs ready to embrace new technology, new capital, and new global markets.

The world is searching for new supply chain hubs. New manufacturing champions. New innovation leaders.

Nivruti Rai’s message was a reminder that India has everything it needs to rise — and that rise must begin now.