The first International SME Innovation and Technology Fair kicked off on May 11 in Mauritius in the presence of Indian Union MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra. The fair, held at the Swami Vivekananda center in Pailles, will be open to the public from May 12 to 14.
While addressing SMEs in the inaugural ceremony, Mishra pointed out that Mauritius and India have had bilateral ties for many years.
“We want to further strengthen these relationships through collaborations between SMEs in both countries”, said Union MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra.
Stressing on the importance of SMEs as the growth engine of Indian economy, Mishra added, “We have a highly diversified SME sector and we want to work with the government of Mauritius to help them, especially in terms of access to technology. We intend to offer low-cost technological tools to Mauritian SMEs.”
He said that the SME sector forms an important part of the economic activity in India. It employs 110 million people and contributes 40 per cent to exports.
More than 25 Indian small enterprises, organised by National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) displayed technologies useful for generating self-employment opportunities. The Union Minister visited each stall and discussed the usage of these technologies with exhibitionists.
Mishra’s Mauritian counterpart Sunil Bholah said, “The event will provide an opportunity for companies to establish contacts with suppliers while exploring the latest in technology. Access to technology is one of the main constraints of SMEs.”
Parama Valaydon, President of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Mauritius), explained that this fair is an ideal platform to increase the visibility of Mauritian SMEs. The fair also welcomes several foreign participants who come from India, China, Reunion, Malaysia, Pakistan, Botswana, Italy and South Africa.
During the three days of the fair, work sessions will be organized by institutions in order to supervise entrepreneurs.
