Latest SMEs News & Updates

New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) Meta-backed WhatsApp on Thursday announced the launch of ‘Business AI’ in India, bringing AI-powered customer support directly to the WhatsApp Business app to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) manage customer engagement round the clock.The feature is designed to enable eligible businesses to respond to customer queries 24/7, capture leads, book appointments and drive sales without requiring additional tools or platforms.It can also be customised using a busines…

Port Sudan, May 5 (IANS) India and Sudan held the ninth round of Foreign Office Consultations in Port Sudan, discussing progress in bilateral ties across various sectors. The officials of the two nations also spoke on regional issues of mutual interest. “9th round of India-Sudan Foreign Office Consultation was held in Port Sudan on 4 May 2026, co-chaired by Joint Secretary (WANA) and Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Sudan,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)…

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Chairperson of the Policy Research Council of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Takayuki Kobayashi met Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri before wrapping up his India visit, on Monday. “Both sides reaffirmed the strategic importance of India-Japan relations and agreed to advance bilateral ties in domains of shared interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on X.Earlier in the day, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held talks with the visiti…

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday held talks with a Japanese delegation to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations.”Met the delegation led by Mr Takayuki Kobayashi, Member of the House of Representatives and Chairperson of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) Policy Research Council, Japan,” Goyal said in a post on X.”Discussed strengthening India–Japan economic engagement, enhancing MSME partnerships, and deepening collaboration…

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) has driven capacity expansion in food processing, job creation, and export growth, with beneficiaries receiving a total incentive of Rs 2,162.55 crore, the government said on Tuesday.Food processing and preservation capacity has grown by 34 lakh MT per annum, the official statement said, highlighting the scheme’s impact.A total of 165 applications have been approved, corresponding to 274 pr…

New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) As global supply chains realign and businesses look at setting up facilities outside China, India has emerged as a long-term strategic investment destination, with competitive export potential for Japan’s mid-sized companies to partner Indian MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) to drive growth.The India–Japan ‘Joint Vision for the Next Decade’, adopted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tokyo in August 2025, encourages cooperation among SMEs (sma…

New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The growing technological ties between India and Japan in the electronics hardware sector have emerged as a new factor in cementing the strong economic and strategic relations between the world’s largest democracy and Asia’s tech giant. As semiconductors, generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digital public infrastructure (DPI) redefine the nature of global influence, this burgeoning “tech alliance” stands as the most vital strategic partnership in the reg…

New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) India and Portugal on Tuesday agreed to set up a joint working mechanism on administrative reforms and digital governance with a focus on deploying artificial intelligence in public services, as the two sides signalled intent to move beyond dialogue to structured cooperation.The understanding emerged during talks between Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, and Portugal’s Ministerof State Reform, Goncalo Matias, on…

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) In her budget presentation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman outlined measures to keep India’s economic engine running strongly despite global uncertainties, with the Narendra Modi government committing fresh resources to manufacturing expansion, semiconductor development, infrastructure upgrades, and incentives for data centre growth.The Finance Minister proposed raising capital expenditure by 9 per cent to reach Rs 12.2 lakh crore in 2026-27, marking one of the large…

Mumbai, Feb 1 (IANS) The recalibration of Securities Transaction Tax (STT) is designed to encourage investors focus on long-term equity participation, thereby fostering healthier liquidity and more sustainable market dynamics, said Sundararaman Ramamurthy, MD and CEO, BSE, on Sunday.In an environment of global uncertainty, this Union Budget “reinforces India’s standing as a resilient and future-ready investment destination, with capital markets that are becoming deeper, more balanced, and stra…