Experts highlight industry-academia collab to drive MSME growth

Mangaluru: KCCI president P B Ahmed Mudassar stressed the importance of stronger industry-institution collaboration in promoting entrepreneurship and supporting regional businesses. Speaking at an awareness programme on the MSME Design Scheme, held at Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here Saturday, Mudassar observed that MSMEs form the backbone of India's economy, with innovation and modern design practices being essential for enterprises to remain competitive in a changing market. MSMEs need to stay closely associated with institutes of national importance such as NITK and foster continuous collaboration, he said. The programme was sponsored by the Ministry of MSME, and organised by the Centre for System Design (CSD), National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, in association with KCCI, Mangaluru. Centred on the theme ‘Design for Manufacturing', the event aimed to create greater awareness among micro, small and medium enterprises about the value of design in improving product performance, production efficiency, cost competitiveness and innovation. Bijuna C. Mohan, coordinator for the MSME implementing agency at NITK, explained the institute's role under the MSME Design Scheme. She outlined how NITK can support MSMEs through technical guidance, design mentoring and professional expertise. The session also pointed to key challenges faced by MSMEs, including limited design awareness, inadequate technical support, and difficulty in translating ideas into market-ready products. Speaking on engineering design and its application in industrial production, Prof K V Gangadharan, coordinator, CSD, NITK, highlighted the design lifecycle from concept generation and product development to manufacturing and commercialisation. Vedha Prakash, designer, Aktis Engineering Solutions, Bengaluru, delivered a session on 'Power of Design: Transforming MSMEs'. Drawing from industry experience, he explained how engineers and designers can work together to create efficient, cost-effective and innovative products. Sruthi G K, assistant director, Br MSME Development and Facilitation Office (DFO), Mangaluru, briefed participants on various initiatives by the MSME ministry.