Event Overview
Walmart Vriddhi, as part of its ongoing efforts to enable and empower MSMEs in India, hosted the Walmart Vriddhi MSME Connect 2025 in Panipat on October 29, 2025, at Days Hotel by Wyndham. Organized in collaboration with the Directorate of MSME, Government of Haryana, the event witnessed the participation of over 130 delegates, government officials, and representatives from eleven industry associations. Dr. Pankaj, IAS, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner, Municipal Council, Panipat, and Sh. Vikas Jangra, Joint Director, District MSME Centre, Panipat, graced the occasion as the Chief Guests.
The event highlighted Walmart Vriddhi’s partnership with the Government of Haryana to strengthen key industry clusters and showcased inspiring MSME success stories. . It also underscored Walmart’s commitment to enable MSMEs with digital training, market access, and personalized mentoring support.
The event saw participation from representatives of key industry bodies such as the Haryana Chamber of Commerce & Industries (District Unit), HUDA Panipat, and the Panipat Exporters Association, along with senior industry leaders including Sh. Rajiv Aggarwal, Sh. Lalit Goel, H.S. Dhammu, Sh. Vineet Sharma, Sh. Veer Bhan Singla, and Sh. Purshottam Sharma.
Key Speakers and Sessions
In the opening session, Parul Soni, emphasized that Walmart Vriddhi’s free-of-cost training, mentorship, and market access opportunities are empowering MSMEs to unlock new avenues of growth and build a stronger domestic and global footprint.
Sh. Vikas Jangra, highlighted Panipat’s growing global manufacturing strength and urged MSMEs to leverage government support and programs like Walmart Vriddhi to scale and compete internationally.Dr. Pankaj, noted that as technology rapidly reshapes business and opens new eCommerce driven opportunities, programs like Walmart Vriddhi become vital in strengthening MSMEs and helping them build resilient enterprises, and contribute to a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The session also saw Walmart Vriddhi graduates share their experiences with fellow MSMEs who were in attendance. Walmart Vriddhi graduate, Sagar Kalra, the owner of Arch Fab who completed the learning program in 2021, reflected on the valuable mentorship received, especially in branding and marketing. Manu Gulati, Founder of Loops N Knots, a 2022 graduate of the program, described the learnings as a guiding force during the early, complex stages of her entrepreneurial journey.
Walmart Vriddhi’s mentor, Rajiv Bajaj touched upon the program’s success in enhancing MSME capabilities around cashflow management, team building, and operational excellence. He has mentored over 150 Walmart Vriddhi graduates through workshops, coaching, and one-on-one sessions, and continues to guide many more through workshops and personalized mentoring sessions today.
Orientation & Interaction
During the orientation session, Ravikant Suman, Head – Academy & Mentoring, i2i Foundation, briefed MSMEs on the program’s training modules, mentorship structure, and onboarding process. In the Cross Border Trade (CBT) session, Hemanth Bhamidipati from Walmart Marketplace, emphasized the importance of taking Indian MSMEs to global customers through Walmart.com. The event concluded with an interactive Q&A, where team members from Ideas to Impact Foundation addressed participants’ queries.
Way Forward
Key highlights from the event included the strengthened collaboration between Walmart Vriddhi, and government and local industry bodies, which enhanced mobilization thereby enhancing credibility and on-ground participation. The discussions also emphasized expansion of Walmart Vriddhi’s reach across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to tap into MSME clusters and to help MSMEs to onboard onto platforms such as Flipkart and Walmart Marketplace.
