Innovation Takes Centre Stage At MSME Utsav
Inaugurating the event, NTR district collector Dr G. Lakshmisha said the initiative was aimed at nurturing creativity and innovation among young entrepreneurs and helping transform promising ideas into successful enterprises.
VIJAYAWADA: Young innovators, women entrepreneurs and start-ups took centre stage at MSME Utsav-2026, organised at the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH) in Enikepadu on Saturday to mark International MSME Day.
More than 80 start-ups and enterprises showcased innovative products, technologies and business ideas, highlighting the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Andhra Pradesh. Among the exhibitors were Stree Shakti Market Hub, Job Paper, Easy Slate, Glivee, Coolex Green India, Zest Eat, Parivartan and Farm Steel Products.
Inaugurating the event, NTR district collector Dr G. Lakshmisha said the initiative was aimed at nurturing creativity and innovation among young entrepreneurs and helping transform promising ideas into successful enterprises. He described RTIH as a game changer in promoting entrepreneurship and industrial development.
Dr Lakshmisha said the district administration was supporting start-ups through RTIH in line with the vision of "One Family-One Entrepreneur". The hub, he said, was helping young innovators combine creativity with practical knowledge and convert ideas into commercially viable ventures.
He said such events provide entrepreneurs with mentoring, technical guidance, marketing support and awareness of financial assistance. Innovation-driven enterprises, he added, not only generate employment but also help address social challenges.
The collector said the government was pursuing a focused strategy to achieve the goals of Swarna Andhra and Viksit Bharat. Through RTIH and RISE, special training programmes and workshops are being organised to help self-help group women establish MSMEs, achieve financial independence and create employment opportunities.
Dr Lakshmisha said the centres were also functioning as research and development hubs, helping entrepreneurs overcome challenges in transforming ideas into market-ready products.
"A small idea, when supported properly, can grow into a successful enterprise and contribute significantly to economic development," he said.
The collector, accompanied by AP Chambers of Commerce president P. Bhaskar Rao, AP MSME industries association president D. Durgaprasad, JRD Tata ELA chairman T. Srinivasa Rao, District Industries Officer M. Madhu and RTIH-Vijayawada CEO Raviteja, inspected the exhibition stalls.
