India SME Forum Launches ‘Top 50 SMEs of Gujarat’ Recognition Platform
Bilkul Bazaar
Ahmedabad
India SME Forum, in partnership with Axis Bank, has launched the ‘Top 50 SMEs of Gujarat’, India’s first state-level recognition and growth platform for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The initiative marks the beginning of the State SME Awards 2026, a series that will subsequently cover Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
The programme builds on the success of the India SME 100 Awards, which have been recognising outstanding MSMEs across the country for over a decade. Gujarat has been selected as the first state due to its strong entrepreneurial culture, manufacturing excellence, export orientation and vibrant MSME ecosystem.
The awards aim to honour high-performing enterprises from the manufacturing, services and trading sectors for their achievements in innovation, exports, technology adoption, employment generation, sustainability and overall business excellence. Beyond recognition, the initiative has been designed as a comprehensive growth platform to help promising enterprises expand their business opportunities.
A major attraction of the programme is that the selected Top 50 SMEs of Gujarat will receive automatic nomination for the prestigious India SME 100 Awards, subject to eligibility criteria. They will also gain access to India SME Forum’s extensive national and international business network, including investors, banks, technology partners, multinational corporations, export promotion agencies and global market collaborators.
Speaking on the occasion, Vinod Kumar, President of India SME Forum, said the initiative is not merely an awards programme but a platform to accelerate the growth of deserving enterprises by connecting them with funding, technology, global markets and strategic partnerships. He added that the long-term vision is to build a pipeline of globally competitive enterprises from every state, beginning with Gujarat.
Vijay Shetty, Group Head – Commercial Banking Group at Axis Bank, said MSMEs remain one of the strongest pillars of India’s economy and the partnership reflects the bank’s commitment to recognising enterprises contributing to economic growth through innovation and sustainable business practices.
An awareness session was organised in Ahmedabad to encourage participation from MSMEs across Gujarat. Addressing the gathering, Sushma Morthania, Co-founder of India SME Forum, said the awards are intended to encourage small and medium enterprises and connect them with national and global growth opportunities. Axis Bank’s Executive Vice President Rakesh Bhojnagarwala reiterated the bank’s commitment to supporting the MSME sector through guidance and business opportunities.
Industry representatives Dhruv Desai and Nilesh Shukla welcomed the initiative, stating that it would help Gujarat’s MSMEs gain wider recognition while creating opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing and business expansion.
Participating enterprises will be evaluated on parameters such as business growth, financial performance, innovation, productivity, exports, digital transformation, governance, sustainability and employment generation. The selected companies will be honoured at a prestigious award ceremony in the presence of policymakers, investors, industry leaders and corporate representatives.
Applications for the Top 50 SMEs of Gujarat are open until August 10, with eligible MSMEs from all districts of Gujarat invited to participate.