PHDCCI Hosts Conference on MSME Financing; Recognises Excellence in Banking, NBFCs and Financial Innovation

New Delhi, 16 September 2026: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) today organised the Conference on “MSME Financing: A Key Driver for Viksit Bharat @2047” along with PHDCCI’s 2nd MSME Banking & NBFC Excellence Sammaan – 2026 at the LPS Auditorium, PHD House, New Delhi.
The conference brought together senior representatives from banks, NBFCs, financial institutions, fintech companies, regulators, industry bodies and other stakeholders to deliberate on strengthening access to finance for India’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which remain a critical pillar of economic growth, employment and entrepreneurship.
The event was addressed by Gopal Krishna Agarwal, National Spokesperson of BJP, Chartered Accountant and Economist, as the Chief Guest. The programme also featured Dr R K Dubey, Former CMD, Canara Bank, as Guest of Honour, along with senior PHDCCI office-bearers and industry leaders.
In his special address, Gopal Krishna Agarwal highlighted the importance of ensuring timely, affordable and accessible finance for MSMEs and stressed the need for stronger coordination among policymakers, financial institutions, technology providers and industry to build a future-ready MSME ecosystem. He explained that government has been very supportive. Government initiatives and reforms have significantly boosted the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
Shalini S. Sharma, Assistant Secretary General, PHDCCI, in her welcome address, highlighted the PHDCCI’s continued efforts to facilitate industry-policy dialogue and create platforms for addressing the financing and growth challenges faced by MSMEs.
Raman Agarwal, Co-Chair, BFSI Committee, PHDCCI and CEO, FIDC, set the context for the conference and emphasised the need for innovative financing solutions, risk-sharing mechanisms and stronger collaboration between banks, NBFCs and fintech companies.
Sanjeev Gupta, Co-Chair, BFSI Committee, PHDCCI and Managing Director, NEXGEN Financial Solutions Pvt. Ltd., underscored the importance of expanding the financing ecosystem beyond traditional lending and leveraging technology, data and innovative financial products to meet the evolving needs of MSMEs.
Focus on the Future of MSME Financing
The first technical session, “Banks, NBFCs & Financial Institutions as Catalysts for MSME Growth & Sustainable Finance,” examined key issues including priority sector lending, co-lending, credit guarantees and risk sharing, working capital and supply-chain finance, export finance, green finance and ESG, as well as government policy and regulatory support.
The session was moderated by Raman Agarwal and featured perspectives from Himanshu Gupta, Director & CEO, Moneywise Financial Services Pvt. Ltd.; Trupti Mhatre, General Manager, EXIM Bank; Gaurav Prakash, Chief Business Officer – MSME Lending, DMI Finance Pvt. Ltd.; S. K. Thapar, Senior Advisor – EASE PSB Reforms, Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and Former General Manager, Punjab National Bank; Sugandh Saxena, CEO, Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE); and Himanshu Chib, Business Head – Enterprise Sales, Satin Finserv Ltd.
The second technical session, “Technology-Led Transformation of MSME Financing: AI, FinTech & Digital Public Infrastructure,” focused on AI-powered credit assessment and underwriting, embedded finance and digital lending, Account Aggregator and Digital Public Infrastructure, TReDS and supply-chain finance, bank–fintech collaboration, cybersecurity and technology-enabled financial inclusion.
The session was moderated by Sanchita Mukherji, Co-Founder and Partner, BLUE EDGE, and included Shikha Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer, Coverfox; Sundeep Mohindru, CEO, M1xchange; Dr Narinder Kumar Bhasin, Zonal Head, Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF); Manushree Saggar, Senior Vice President, ICRA; and Nidhi Maheswari, Senior Manager, NSE.
Babeeta Sharma, Director, PHDCCI., moderated the panel and the program concluded with a vote of thanks to all.
Coverfox Highlights the Role of Insurance in MSME Risk Management
As part of the technology-led session, Shikha Gupta, Chief Strategy Officer, Coverfox, delivered a special presentation highlighting the role of insurance in strengthening the financial resilience of MSMEs.
The presentation underlined the role of insurance as an important component of the broader MSME financing and risk-management ecosystem, helping enterprises manage unforeseen business disruptions and strengthen financial resilience.
PHDCCI’s 2nd MSME Banking & NBFC Excellence Sammaan – 2026
A key highlight of the conference was the presentation of PHDCCI’s 2nd MSME Banking & NBFC Excellence Sammaan – 2026, recognising institutions for their contribution to MSME financing, financial inclusion, digital innovation and sustainable growth.
The category-wise award recipients announced at the conference were:
•    Best Public Sector Bank in MSME Lending: State Bank of India (SBI)
•    Best Private Sector Bank in MSME Lending: HDFC Bank Ltd.
•    Best Large NBFC in MSME Lending: Tata Capital
•    Best Medium & Small NBFC in MSME Lending: Vistaar Financial Services
•    Best Fintech in MSME Lending: Mintifi Finserve Private Limited
The awards were evaluated by an eminent jury comprising senior banking and financial-sector professionals, including Dr R K Dubey, Former CMD, Canara Bank, as Jury Chair, along with distinguished members from the banking, MSME and financial-services ecosystem.
The awards initiative seeks to recognise institutions demonstrating meaningful contributions to the development of India's MSME financing ecosystem and to encourage greater innovation, responsible lending and customer-centric financial solutions.
The conference reaffirmed the importance of a collaborative approach involving banks, NBFCs, fintechs, insurers, regulators, government institutions and industry to enhance the availability of timely and appropriate finance and strengthen the overall resilience and competitiveness of India’s MSME sector.
PHDCCI remains committed to facilitating constructive dialogue between industry and policymakers and to strengthening the financial ecosystem required to support the vision of a stronger and more inclusive Viksit Bharat @2047.