For years, India's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) watched big-ticket manufacturing conversations happen elsewhere. Policy announcements in Delhi. Investment summits in Mumbai. Trade delegations in Gujarat. Meanwhile, the real engine of India's manufacturing story has been quietly humming in workshops, industrial estates, and clusters across the south.
That's about to change. The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit is taking its proven formula to six strategic southern cities, and the timing couldn't be better. Each stop on this circuit represents a critical node in India's manufacturing network, and now, the national conversation is coming to them.
Madurai kicked off the series on November 7, and it's a fitting start. The city's textile machinery cluster serves mills across Tamil Nadu, while its rubber goods sector supplies everything from automotive components to industrial seals. What Madurai businesses need is direct access to the kind of institutional knowledge and network effects that until now required flying to metropolitan hubs.
Kochi's turn comes on November 21. The city sits at the intersection of traditional industries and new-age logistics. Its marine products sector is a force to reckon with in exports, while the emerging IT services cluster is creating demand for precision manufacturing. The local industrial ecosystem has scale, but scale without strategic direction is just busy work. The ET SME Summit offers something different: peer learning from SMEs, local industry veterans, and policymakers who know how to navigate the path from regional player to national supplier.
Limited spots only. Book your seat now for Kochi, Belagavi, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, or Visakhapatnam.
On November 28, Belagavi will bring a different dynamic. Straddling Karnataka and Maharashtra, the city's foundries cluster and precision engineering units serve automotive and heavy machinery sectors. These are businesses operating on thin margins in competitive markets. The need of the hour here is practical intelligence on how other SMEs are leveraging Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, navigating quality certifications, and accessing working capital without mortgaging their futures.
Hyderabad's December 5 edition will draw from the city's unique mix of pharma APIs, aerospace components, and electronics manufacturing. The city has corporate giants and startup unicorns, but its SMEs often operate in the shadows of both. The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit creates a rare forum where a second-generation pharmaceutical equipment maker can have the same table access as venture-backed hardware startups, learning from each other's playbooks.
On December 13, Vijayawada will represent Andhra Pradesh's industrial heartland. The city's food processing units, auto component manufacturers, and plastic processing industries form a dense web of interdependence. What works here are tangible case studies, not theoretical frameworks. The summit's focus on peer-to-peer knowledge transfer means learning from a local manufacturer who cracked vendor empanelment with a major original equipment manufacturer, or a textile unit that doubled productivity through smart automation.
The circuit closes with Visakhapatnam on January 9, 2026, and there's symbolism in that. Vizag combines heavy industry legacy with emerging tech manufacturing. Its pharma sector is booming. Defence production is opening new opportunities. The port ensures global connectivity. But local SMEs need more than infrastructure; they need relationships, insights, and the confidence that comes from seeing businesses similar to theirs punch above their weight.
Claim your spot to unlock exclusive networking opportunities, vendor networks, funding routes, and scale-up strategies in the edition closest to you.
What makes the ET SME Summits different from the usual business circuit is its national footprint and hyperlocal approach. Each city edition will feature success stories from that region, local policy insights, and exclusive networking opportunities for local SMEs. It's not about importing solutions wholesale, but adapting proven strategies to local contexts.
South India’s industrial belt has always exceeded its capabilities. These six cities collectively represent hundreds of crores of rupees in manufacturing output and millions of jobs. What they need now is proportional representation in national conversations about where manufacturing is headed and who gets to shape that direction.
Seats at each edition of the ET Make in India SME Regional Summit are limited. The goal isn't to pack an auditorium, but to facilitate the kinds of exchanges that lead to actual business outcomes, whether that's new vendor relationships, investment leads, or clarity on the next growth moves.
The dates are set. The cities are chosen. The only question is whether your business will be in the room when your region's turn comes. Because these conversations are happening with or without you, but the opportunities they unlock won't wait around.
The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit is a nationwide initiative to celebrate the diversity and versatility of India’s SME sector. Visit the website for more information on the agenda, registration, and FAQs.
That's about to change. The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit is taking its proven formula to six strategic southern cities, and the timing couldn't be better. Each stop on this circuit represents a critical node in India's manufacturing network, and now, the national conversation is coming to them.
Madurai kicked off the series on November 7, and it's a fitting start. The city's textile machinery cluster serves mills across Tamil Nadu, while its rubber goods sector supplies everything from automotive components to industrial seals. What Madurai businesses need is direct access to the kind of institutional knowledge and network effects that until now required flying to metropolitan hubs.
Kochi's turn comes on November 21. The city sits at the intersection of traditional industries and new-age logistics. Its marine products sector is a force to reckon with in exports, while the emerging IT services cluster is creating demand for precision manufacturing. The local industrial ecosystem has scale, but scale without strategic direction is just busy work. The ET SME Summit offers something different: peer learning from SMEs, local industry veterans, and policymakers who know how to navigate the path from regional player to national supplier.
Limited spots only. Book your seat now for Kochi, Belagavi, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, or Visakhapatnam.
On November 28, Belagavi will bring a different dynamic. Straddling Karnataka and Maharashtra, the city's foundries cluster and precision engineering units serve automotive and heavy machinery sectors. These are businesses operating on thin margins in competitive markets. The need of the hour here is practical intelligence on how other SMEs are leveraging Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, navigating quality certifications, and accessing working capital without mortgaging their futures.
Hyderabad's December 5 edition will draw from the city's unique mix of pharma APIs, aerospace components, and electronics manufacturing. The city has corporate giants and startup unicorns, but its SMEs often operate in the shadows of both. The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit creates a rare forum where a second-generation pharmaceutical equipment maker can have the same table access as venture-backed hardware startups, learning from each other's playbooks.
On December 13, Vijayawada will represent Andhra Pradesh's industrial heartland. The city's food processing units, auto component manufacturers, and plastic processing industries form a dense web of interdependence. What works here are tangible case studies, not theoretical frameworks. The summit's focus on peer-to-peer knowledge transfer means learning from a local manufacturer who cracked vendor empanelment with a major original equipment manufacturer, or a textile unit that doubled productivity through smart automation.
The circuit closes with Visakhapatnam on January 9, 2026, and there's symbolism in that. Vizag combines heavy industry legacy with emerging tech manufacturing. Its pharma sector is booming. Defence production is opening new opportunities. The port ensures global connectivity. But local SMEs need more than infrastructure; they need relationships, insights, and the confidence that comes from seeing businesses similar to theirs punch above their weight.
Claim your spot to unlock exclusive networking opportunities, vendor networks, funding routes, and scale-up strategies in the edition closest to you.
What makes the ET SME Summits different from the usual business circuit is its national footprint and hyperlocal approach. Each city edition will feature success stories from that region, local policy insights, and exclusive networking opportunities for local SMEs. It's not about importing solutions wholesale, but adapting proven strategies to local contexts.
South India’s industrial belt has always exceeded its capabilities. These six cities collectively represent hundreds of crores of rupees in manufacturing output and millions of jobs. What they need now is proportional representation in national conversations about where manufacturing is headed and who gets to shape that direction.
Seats at each edition of the ET Make in India SME Regional Summit are limited. The goal isn't to pack an auditorium, but to facilitate the kinds of exchanges that lead to actual business outcomes, whether that's new vendor relationships, investment leads, or clarity on the next growth moves.
The dates are set. The cities are chosen. The only question is whether your business will be in the room when your region's turn comes. Because these conversations are happening with or without you, but the opportunities they unlock won't wait around.
The ET Make in India SME Regional Summit is a nationwide initiative to celebrate the diversity and versatility of India’s SME sector. Visit the website for more information on the agenda, registration, and FAQs.
