Event Overview
Walmart Vriddhi hosted MSME Connect 2026 in Kanpur on March 25, 2026, at Hotel The Bridge, bringing together MSMEs to engage with digital commerce ecosystems and explore market access opportunities. The event convened over 250 delegates including entrepreneurs, senior government representatives, and key ecosystem enablers, reflecting a strong convergence of stakeholders supporting MSME growth.
Shri Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Advisor to Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Shri Saket Misra, Hon’ble Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, joined the occasion as the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour, respectively.
Key Speakers and Sessions
The event commenced with opening remarks by Parul Soni, President and Trustee, Ideas to Impact Foundation, who highlighted Walmart Vriddhi’s continued efforts to strengthen MSMEs through digital tools, personalized mentorship, and market linkages. He underscored the importance of equipping small businesses with the capabilities required to navigate evolving market dynamics and unlock sustainable growth opportunities.
Nitin Prasad, Vice President, Walmart Sourcing,introduced the Walmart Vriddhi program and outlined its role in enabling MSMEs through free-of-cost business learning modules and access to marketplace opportunities. He emphasized how the program is helping entrepreneurs strengthen business readiness and gain access to both national and international markets. Shri Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Advisor to Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh,shared the economic significance of the state’s MSME sector, noting that Uttar Pradesh is home to nearly 96 lakh MSMEs, with around 50 lakhs actively contributing to economic growth. He emphasized that this strong entrepreneurial base holds significant potential, particularly when supported through capacity-building and market access initiatives such as Walmart Vriddhi, which are helping MSMEs leverage eCommerce and export opportunities to scale and compete globally.
Saket Misra, Hon’ble Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, emphasized the need to further strengthen the competitiveness of MSMEs in Uttar Pradesh by promoting innovation and encouraging continuous skill and capability development. He shared that as market dynamics continue to evolve; local enterprises require targeted support systems that can help them adapt, grow, and remain resilient. Shri Jay Kumar Gupta, General Manager and Regional In-Charge – Lucknow, SIDBI, highlighted SIDBI’s role in supporting MSMEs through access to capital and financial solutions, and its incubation centers across the state that nurture entrepreneurship and business growth.
The event also featured an experience-sharing session by Walmart Vriddhi graduates Renuka Mishra, Founder of RenHomz and Deepak Rai, Owner of Alpinista. They reflected on how their journey with the program contributed to strengthening different aspects of their businesses, from improving operational and packaging practices to building digital capabilities and supporting business expansion.
Orientation & Interaction
The orientation sessions focused on building MSME understanding of digital commerce pathways and market access opportunities under Walmart Vriddhi. Kushal Singh from Walmart Marketplace, oriented participants on cross-border trade through Walmart.com. Akhil Sodani from Flipkart led a session on Flipkart onboarding and seller readiness and Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Academy masterclass was led by Amish Nishesh from Ideas to Impact Foundation who focused on strengthening business capabilities. The sessions concluded with an interactive Q&A addressing participant queries.
Way Forward
Discussions at the event underscored the importance of continued government collaboration in strengthening Walmart Vriddhi’s outreach across key MSME clusters and improving participation among local enterprises. Delegates also noted the growing interest among MSMEs in adopting digital commerce and exploring new market channels, particularly when supported through structured guidance, capacity-building, and ecosystem linkages.
The sessions further reinforced that cities such as Kanpur represent strong MSME opportunity hubs, where focused interventions can help enterprises build market readiness and access broader domestic and international opportunities. Strengthening such localized engagement will be important in enabling more MSMEs to leverage digital platforms and scale sustainably.
