Small Industries and CICU Join Hands to Strengthen Regional Industry Collaboration

Ludhiana, October 07, 2025: In a significant initiative aimed at enhancing collaboration between regional industrial bodies, the Small Industries Association (Regd.), Phagwara, in association with the Chamber of Industrial & Commercial Undertakings (CICU), organised a joint meeting at Hotel Best Western. The meeting witnessed participation from key industrialists, experts, and stakeholders from the MSME sector, with an agenda focused on strengthening cooperation, addressing challenges, and unlocking new growth opportunities for small industries.
The meeting was chaired by Pankaj Kaura, President of the Small Industries Association, and organised under the supervision of Rajneesh Jain, Secretary, and Pradeep Dhalla, Treasurer. The event was graced by Upkar Singh Ahuja, President of CICU, who attended as the Chief Guest. He was accorded a warm welcome with a floral bouquet and a ceremonial shawl, followed by a presentation of a memento by the association members.
In his keynote address, Upkar Singh Ahuja emphasized the pivotal role of industry associations in shaping a resilient and progressive industrial ecosystem. Highlighting the contribution of MSMEs to the national economy, he stated: "CICU is always committed to the growth of industry across the region. We believe that a thriving MSME sector is vital for India to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming a 5 trillion economy. Our mission is to facilitate this growth through collaboration, innovation, and effective representation of industry concerns."
He further underlined the importance of proactive dialogue between industry representatives and policymakers to ensure smoother regulatory processes, better access to credit, and promotion of exports.
The session also featured insights from several distinguished experts and thought leaders. Gautam Seekri, a renowned business strategist and innovation consultant, shared practical frameworks for small industries to scale their operations through digitization and process improvement. Dr. S.B. Singh, an academic and industrial researcher, spoke on the need for academia-industry partnerships to drive technological advancement in small-scale manufacturing. Export expert Sarvjeet Singh discussed new international market trends and compliance requirements that MSMEs must prepare for, especially in light of changing global trade dynamics. Prominent entrepreneur and thinker Ajay Bharti encouraged the adoption of sustainable practices and value-added manufacturing to stay competitive. Nikhil Dhand, a young and progressive business leader, shared his journey of transformation and highlighted how youth leadership can drive industry modernization.
Speaking on the occasion, Pankaj Kaura reiterated the association’s commitment to addressing the issues faced by small industries in the region. He stressed the importance of strategic partnerships and regular dialogue to amplify the collective voice of the sector.
"This joint meeting with CICU marks a key milestone in our efforts to unite industry voices and develop actionable strategies to overcome the operational and policy-related challenges faced by MSMEs. We are confident that the concerns of small industries will be strongly represented at both state and central government levels,” said Kaura.
The event concluded with an interactive session where participants discussed pressing issues including delays in GST refunds, high cost of raw materials, labour shortages, and lack of infrastructure support in industrial clusters. A resolution was passed to form a joint task force to represent these issues to the concerned authorities and to organise regular knowledge-sharing workshops.
Among the notable attendees were Rattan Chawla, Surinder Chawla, Surinder Singh Jaswal, Ashok Sethi, Nitin Sahni, Rajeev Verma, Karan Dhalla, Amogh Sobti, and Gaurav Dhingra, along with several members of the small industrial community.
The meeting was widely appreciated as a meaningful step toward unity and collaboration between associations and industrial leaders working to uplift the MSME ecosystem of Punjab and beyond.