St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) hosted the 4th International Conference on “Indian MSMEs @2047: Greening as a Global Strategy” on March 13 and 14, 2026 at the university campus.

Organised by the Fr. Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) in blended mode, the conference was supported by the St. Xavier’s University Kolkata Alumni Association. The two-day event served as a platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange on sustainability, innovation and future strategies for strengthening India’s MSME sector in alignment with the nation’s Vision 2047.

The conference received 68 research papers and recorded participation from 100 registered delegates from SXUK and reputed institutions across the country. The inaugural session was graced by Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, SJ, Vice-Chancellor of SXUK.

In his inaugural address, Father Felix Raj highlighted the growing importance of sustainability-driven business models in the MSME ecosystem. The session also witnessed the release of “New Frontiers in Commerce and Management Studies”, published by SXUK, along with the unveiling of the book of abstracts for the conference.

The conference featured plenary sessions by distinguished international speakers including Dr. G. Granata from University Mercatorum of Rome, Italy; Dr. Sagi Mathew from Curtin University, Perth, Australia and Mr. Madhurjya K. Dutta from Mekong Institute, Thailand. Their presentations addressed global business perspectives, sustainability frameworks and policy imperatives for MSME development.

A special panel comprising prominent MSME entrepreneurs—Mr. Rajarshi Nag, Co-founder of Drivers4me; Dr. Arijit Banerjee, popularly known as “The Toilet Man of Bengal”; Dr. Vikash Goel of Omnifin Solutions and Shark Tank fame; and Ms. Megha Sarayan of Modge by Land of Cakes discussed challenges and opportunities in adopting green strategies within the MSME sector.

Across parallel technical tracks, experts and researchers presented papers on topics such as sustainability and MSME competitiveness, circular economy, financing sustainability, resource efficiency, digital innovation, and capacity building.

An additional plenary session took place in the second day, featuring Dr. Shabbir H. Gheewala from King Mongkut's University of Technology, Bangkok; Dr. Zainura Zainon Noor from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Dr. Subhasis Ray from XLRI, Jamshedpur, who shared global insights on sustainability and life-cycle assessment.

A special training session on ‘Efficacy of Research Publication’ was conducted by Dr. Amitava Sarkar, Former Director of IISWBM and MAKAUT School of Management, offering valuable guidance to young researchers.

The event concluded with a valedictory session addressed by Fr. Dr. Xavier Jeyaraj, SJ, Registrar of SXUK and Prof Soma Sur presented the conference summary, followed by distribution of certificates and Best Paper Awards. Dr. Monalika Dey delivered the final vote of thanks.

Dr. Soma Sur

Hony. Director, LCERI