Puducherry MSMEs enter international trade, secure Rs 15 Cr export deals
RBSM attracted 25 buyers from 16 countries, including the UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, South Africa, the UAE, Spain, Vietnam, and Mauritius, over two days.
At Puducherry's first International Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM), 50 MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) worth more than Rs 15 crore were finalised with buyers from 16 countries.
According to reports by The Hindu, the two-day event, hosted by the Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation (PIPDIC) under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMO) scheme, in partnership with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), also succeeded in opening up significant export opportunities for MSMEs.
More than 320 MSMEs from Puducherry had participated in the RBSM. It featured more than 500 scheduled one-on-one meetings between buyers and sellers over two days. RBSM attracted 25 buyers from 16 countries, including the UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, South Africa, the UAE, Spain, Vietnam, and Mauritius.
MSMEs operating in the textiles, food processing, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and engineering goods can now export to international markets.
For the hosts, the RBSM reinforces Puducherry’s emergence as a hub for MSME-driven exports, providing local entrepreneurs with a strong platform to access global markets and accelerate sustainable growth. They expect the initiative to not only create new international opportunities for regional MSMEs but also boost the volume and value of exports by leveraging the port logistics capabilities of Puducherry and Karaikal.
Earlier, MSME entrepreneurs in Puducherry lacked a clear mechanism to connect with international clientele. The event enabled first-time exporters to gain critical insights into entering international trade.
Participating enterprises covered a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, food processing, spices, herbal products, cosmetics, handloom and handicrafts, textiles, engineering, machinery, chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and packaging materials.
The event also hosted technical sessions highlighting initiatives under the government's Make in India programme.