Event Overview
To create a platform for MSMEs to engage with digital commerce and market access opportunities, Walmart Vriddhi hosted MSME Connect 2025 in Mau on December 26, 2025, at Hotel The R.S. Palace, Mau, Uttar Pradesh. The event brought together over 400 delegates, senior government officials, representatives from business associations, and members of the city administration. Shri Rajiv Rai, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, and Shri Badruddin Khan Burney, Former Secretary, India Islamic Cultural Centre, joined the occasion as the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour, respectively.
Bringing MSMEs together, the event highlighted eCommerce opportunities and market access through national (Flipkart) and international marketplaces (Walmart Marketplace). Walmart Vriddhi MSME Connect Mau 2025 also witnessed participation from representatives of key institutions and industry bodies, including SIDBI and Dak Niryat Kendra (India Post), along with local leadership such as Shri Arshad Jamal from the Nagar Palika Parishad and Shri Jamal Arpan, President of the Mau Saree Vyapar Association.
Key Speakers and Sessions
In the opening session, Parul Soni, Trustee, Ideas to Impact Foundation, highlighted Walmart Vriddhi’s catalytic role in equipping MSMEs with digital tools and personalized mentorship, enabling entrepreneurs to scale their businesses from Mau to national and global markets. Introducing the Walmart Vriddhi Program, Shambhu Nair, Manager – Cross Border Trade, Walmart India, outlined how the initiative supports MSMEs through structured learning, business tools and access to new marketplaces.
Shri Badruddin Khan Burney, Former Secretary of the India Islamic Cultural Centre, underscored Mau’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and highlighted the importance of initiatives such as Walmart Vriddhi in enabling MSMEs to modernize their operations and scale to larger markets. Shri Rajiv Rai, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s robust MSME landscape and emphasised the critical role of digital adoption, capability building, and how initiatives like Walmart Vriddhi support local entrepreneurs to achieve sustainable business growth.
The event also featured an experience-sharing session by Walmart Vriddhi graduates Renuka Mishra, Founder of RenHomz and Deepak Rai, Owner of Alpinista, who spoke about how the program’s mentorship and digital enablement strengthened their business operations. Walmart Vriddhi mentor Rajiv Bajaj reflected on his experience supporting entrepreneurs through the program and discussed the role of mentorship and strategic guidance in strengthening business capabilities.
Orientation & Interaction
During the orientation session, Ravikant Suman, Head – Academy & Mentoring, Ideas to Impact Foundation, briefed MSMEs on the program’s training modules, mentorship structure, and onboarding process. In the Cross Border Trade (CBT) session, Shambhu Nair, Manager – Cross Border Trade, Walmart in India emphasized the importance of taking Indian MSMEs to global customers through Walmart.com.
Way Forward
Discussions highlighted the role of collaborative program such as Walmart Vriddhi in empowering MSME inclusion through public–private partnerships. Delegates also discussed the need to expand the program’s presence in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to engage MSME clusters and facilitate onboarding onto marketplaces such as Flipkart and Walmart Marketplace.
The sessions noted that the alignment of government leadership and program expertise creates an enabling environment for MSMEs to adopt digital commerce and participate in formal market systems. Districts such as Mau were cited as examples of clusters with significant MSME potential, where targeted digital enablement can connect local enterprises to national and global marketplaces, unlocking opportunities for cross-border trade and export-oriented growth.
