Ahmedabad, Oct 30 (IANS) Gujarat’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) need to move beyond awareness and begin implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in their operations to remain competitive and become part of larger domestic and global supply chains, industry leaders said at the third edition of the CII Gujarat MSME Conclave 2026 in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Gujarat, the conclave was held under the theme ‘Future Ready MSMEs: AI, Supply Chains & Business Opportunities’.
It brought together government representatives, industry leaders, technology experts and entrepreneurs to discuss AI adoption, digital transformation, quality standards and opportunities for MSMEs to expand their participation in corporate supply chains.
Addressing the gathering, Varang Trivedi, Convenor of the CII Gujarat MSME Panel, said the AI revolution marked an important turning point for industry and was no longer limited to large corporations with substantial IT budgets.
“The CII Gujarat MSME Panel had decided to make the discussion around AI more relevant to smaller enterprises this year. Gujarat, which is among the early adopters of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and computerisation, is well placed to take the lead in adopting AI,” he added.
Shyam Kadakia, Co-Convenor of the CII Gujarat MSME Panel, said MSMEs were essential to Gujarat’s industrial ecosystem and could use AI to evolve from manufacturing units into critical partners in larger value chains.
He said large corporate buyers expected suppliers to maintain consistent quality, ensure timely deliveries and meet compliance requirements.
“The focus must now shift from awareness to adoption and from discussion to implementation,” he said.
Industrialist Parakramsinh Jadeja urged MSMEs to invest in research and development (R&D) and innovation, suggesting that businesses begin by allocating around 5 per cent of their top line to these areas. “Without innovation there is no sustainability,” he said.
He also advised entrepreneurs not to wait for external support to expand their businesses, adding that MSME status should be viewed as a registration from which an enterprise should graduate rather than as an ultimate destination.
“Every moment presented both risks and opportunities, and entrepreneurs needed to remain focused on the present while adapting to changing circumstances,” he said.
–IANS
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