Hans News Service Visakhapatnam

MSMEs are the backbone of Andhra Pradesh’s industrial economy and play a vital role in employment generation, balanced regional development and inclusive economic growth, emphasised Tammireddy Siva Sankara Rao, chairman of AP MSME Development Corporation.

Delivering the inaugural address at the International Reverse Buyer–Seller Meet (RBSM) hosted as part of the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) Scheme, he mentioned that the Government of Andhra Pradesh is committed to creating a supportive ecosystem where entrepreneurs can establish enterprises, adopt modern technology, improve product quality, access finance and connect directly with domestic and international markets.

The three-day programme, which continues until August 21, brought more than 40 overseas buyers from 25 countries and over 250 MSMEs from across Andhra Pradesh onto a platform for structured one-to-one business meetings aimed at generating export enquiries, commercial partnerships and confirmed business orders.

Organised jointly by the Andhra Pradesh MSME Development Corporation (AP MSMEDC) and the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the inaugural session was attended by MSMEDC directors Neelapu Vijayananda Reddy, Mugada Rajarao, Pradhana Vijayaram, PVV Sathyanarayana Murthy, Chinnaraju Gudipudi and N Veera Prasanna Kumar, along with other senior officials.

Speaking on the occasion, Siva Sankara Rao observed that AP possesses considerable strengths in agriculture, food processing, marine products, spices, rice, textiles, chemicals, engineering products and several other manufacturing sectors.

The chairman noted that programmes such as the RBSM reduce the distance between local enterprises and global markets by bringing credible international buyers directly to the state. He urged participating MSMEs to make effective use of the opportunity, understand the specific requirements of buyers and maintain sustained communication.

AP MSMEDC would continue to support aspiring and existing entrepreneurs through capacity building, market linkages, technology adoption and other facilitation measures, he added.

Addressing the gathering, K Unnikrishnan, Joint Director General, FIEO, said that identifying credible overseas buyers and establishing direct access to international markets remain among the most significant challenges faced by MSMEs.

The structured meetings provide MSMEs with an opportunity to showcase their capabilities, assess market suitability and explore exports, sourcing arrangements, product development and long-term commercial partnerships. Stronger international market linkages for agricultural and value-added food products are also expected to benefit farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations, food-processing units and rural enterprises.