Mumbai: ET Now, English Business News Channel, hosted the 7th season of ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ (LOT) Conclave and Awards 2018 in Mumbai. India’s biggest platform for SMEs, ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ (LOT) showcases, empowers and recognises India’s most promising Small Business Entrepreneurs (SMEs). The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO – NITI-Aayog, theme address by Mr. V. Vaidyanathan, Founder & Chairman – Capital First and the special address on ‘Right to Win’ was delivered by Mr. Harsh Mariwala, Founder & Chairman – Marico India.
This year, LOT Conclave & Awards 2018 was attended by global business icons and corporate leaders from various industries who led the conversation on what it takes to leapfrog SMEs to the Sensex. The stellar line-up of speakers included Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD & CEO – BSE, Partha Sinha, VC & MD – McCann Worldwide, Sam Subramaniam, CEO – Brand Capital, Pradeep Parameswaran, President – Uber India & SA, Debjani Ghosh, President – NASSCOM, Vijay Karia, Chairman & MD – Ravin Group and Prabodh Thakker, Chairman – Global Insurance Brokers amongst others. The sessions through various discourses and deliberations reflected on a range of topics including Open Innovation, Smart Marketing, Local to Global, The Digital Front amongst others.
Commenting on the occasion, M. K. Anand, MD & CEO, Times Network said, “Leaders of Tomorrow Conclave and Awards in its 7th season salutes the spirit of SME leaders who are actively contributing to India’s growth. We are proud to provide a platform that honors and celebrates their determination and passion to bring alive ideas and, in the process, create inspiring stories for budding entrepreneurs. Embodying ET Now’s ethos – ‘Rise with India’, I firmly believe that India’s most coveted platform for SMEs, will inspire new stories of entrepreneurial success that contributes to India’s growth.”
Delivering the keynote address, Amitabh Kant, CEO NITI-Aayog said, “MSME’s contribute close to around 45-50 per cent in manufacturing, exports and jobs. The two imperatives of growth and jobs, both which are critical for India, come from the MSME sector. We have done away with a lot of rules, regulations and procedures that were prevalent over the past 70 years so that it becomes easier for MSMEs to do business. That is the reason why we have jumped up 42 positions in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Global Ranking.”
He further added, “The future of SME and MSMEs lies in digitisation. Digitisation and formalisation will be the crux which will throw up a huge amount of data, leading to financial inclusion. 98.3 per cent Indians pay income tax online, which is result of the government shifting to digitization and technology, which will prove to be a huge asset in the way MSMEs do business. India’s economy has got formalised thanks to the GST. In one year of GST, we have 47 lakh new formal enterprises in India. Unlike any other country, the Ayushman Bharat scheme launched by the Honorable Prime Minister will link up 150,000 primary health centres to the district health centres which will enable 42% of India’s population to have access to medical insurance of about 5 lakh rupees. All MSMEs must be part of the global supply chain and must lead with design and innovation for the future. My belief is that the future of India lies in the hands of the MSMEs and we need to create the right ecosystem, for India’s economy to grow at 9-10%.”
The conclave was followed by an award ceremony to honour the great leaders of tomorrow. The winners were shortlisted after a month-long nomination process across nine exciting categories. Pioneers from various industries were felicitated based on the criteria including their unprecedented display of sharp business prowess, clear understanding of the market and their deep focus on innovation and driving change. Clensta International won the ‘SME of the Year Award’, following the elevator pitch made to the eminent jury comprising MK Anand, MD & CEO – Times Network, Suresh Narayanan, Chairman & CEO – Nestle India, Madhusudan Kela, Market Veteran & Founder -MK Ventures, Pradeep Parameswaran, President – Uber India & SA, Sam Subramaniam, CEO – Brand Capital, Debrati Sen, MD – 3M India & Sri Lanka and Saurabh Srivastava, Co-Founder & Chairman – Indian Angel Network.
The 7th season of Leaders of Tomorrow Conclave & Awards 2018 was presented by Capital First, Partner, Brand Capital, On Ground Partner, Broadcast 1 & GM Online Media, Associate Partner, ICSI, Knowledge Partner, India SME Forum, Ecosystem Partner, TiE India and Supported by MSME India. The entire event will be aired on ET NOW in the coming weeks.
The ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ Awardees are:
| Category | Company Name | Name of the representative |
| SME of the Year | Clensta International | Dr. Puneet Gupta |
| Agriculture and food processing | Pagariya Food Products | Mr. Naresh Pagariya |
| Fintech | PayMate India | Mr. Ravi Vishwanathan |
| IT ITes Startups | Clensta International | Dr. Puneet Gupta |
| Transport and logistics | SUPER HIGHWAY LABS | Mr. Vishwas Singh |
| Electricals and Electronics | Sealwel Corporation | Mr. Bandaru Subbarao |
| Industrial Manufacturing | Robo Silicon | Mr. Sumnesh Khandelwal |
| Real estate and Construction | Consulting Engineers Group | Mr. Vishwas Jain |
| Real estate and Construction | ISC Projects | Mr. Jameet Singh Chhabra |
| Textile apparel and accessories | BASANT OVERSEAS | Mr. Gaurav Gujral |
| Young Woman Entrepreneur | Luxeva India | Ms. Priyanka Gill |
