NewsVoir
New Delhi [India], October 6: MSMEs should transfer sooner in adopting high quality processes and construct high quality into each stage of their operations, from design and manufacturing to supply, to develop into stronger contributors to India’s international competitiveness, emerged as a key message on Day 2 of the third version of the IFQM Symposium 2026 in New Delhi.
The second day of the symposium centered on translating the standard and innovation agenda into motion, with discussions round strengthening MSME capabilities, constructing industry-academia partnerships, growing expertise and leveraging know-how to enhance productiveness and competitiveness. As a part of this effort, IFQM introduced plans to roll out a management programme for MSMEs and subsequently prolong an analogous programme to giant industries, with a give attention to sharing finest practices, decreasing waste, enhancing high quality and driving innovation via training and steady studying.
Delivering the keynote handle on “Wings of Viksit Bharat: Transforming India into a Global Aviation Hub,” Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India, emphasised the necessity to strengthen India’s aviation manufacturing ecosystem and develop capabilities throughout the provision chain.
He mentioned, “The ultimate goal is to make aircraft in India. The government is committed to providing policy support for the aviation sector, especially for MRO. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set a target of 350 airports by 2047; we are working to achieve it. But we need to strengthen aviation manufacturing in India. The industry needs to understand the importance of material quality; we need more people and more clusters; we also need skilling, from design to the factory floor. It has to be reflected in the Indian aviation sector.”
The Minister additionally known as upon international OEMs to convey collectively their supply-chain companions and MSMEs via collective {industry} boards. He urged corporations reminiscent of Boeing and Airbus, and so on to steer discussions with Indian MSMEs on the necessities of the aviation {industry}, noting that readability on product and high quality specs would allow MSMEs to higher plan, innovate, design and manufacture to international requirements. He additionally highlighted the position that establishments reminiscent of IFQM can play in facilitating this collaboration.
IFQM, established by a consortium of India’s main enterprises, is an industry-led motion dedicated to catalysing Indian organisations to develop into globally aggressive and export-capable via Quality, Innovation and Excellence. The Foundation is concentrated on strengthening the capabilities of Indian {industry}, together with MSMEs, via initiatives that promote high quality, innovation and sustainable improvement in step with the nation-first goals of Viksit Bharat.
From Quality Intent To Measurable Action
The two-day symposium introduced collectively senior {industry} leaders, policymakers, international high quality specialists, CEOs, CXOs, academia and MSMEs to discover how India can leverage its scale, know-how and human capital to construct globally aggressive enterprises.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, IFQM, emphasised that high quality should develop into a private dedication throughout management and organisations. He mentioned, “Our shared responsibility is to build India’s reputation and make it synonymous with Quality. Quality must be a personal commitment from the leaders. Change begins at the top. To build a world-class company, innovation has to be continuous; follow the standards. Be willing to make mistakes and learn to correct them quickly. Daily discipline has to be part of the work.”
Highlighting the crucial position of MSMEs in India’s progress, he added, “MSMEs are the foundation of any country, and vibrant MSMEs are key to the country’s success. IFQM’s single-minded purpose is to make 5,000 MSMEs part of quality and innovation and to become part of a nationwide movement. Caring and sharing is a critical journey. Our commitment is to make quality a habit; it should start at home.”
Mr. Soumitra Bhattacharya, CEO and Director, IFQM, highlighted the organisation’s ambition to scale its MSME engagement and switch collective {industry} participation into measurable motion. He mentioned, “We create USPs and turn plans into action. We had 200-plus MSMEs; we are looking at 500-plus, and the next target is 1,000-plus MSMEs. How can we use our members and non-members as force multipliers? We need to create a burning platform and work together, contribute, cooperate and participate.”
Mr. T.V. Narendran, CEO & Managing Director, Tata Steel, emphasised the necessity to construct momentum and a crucial mass round high quality. He mentioned, “We need to create momentum, create a critical mass, and the mindset. Industry-academia tango has to happen for real success and quality in the MSME ecosystem. To build a quality culture, we need to go beyond CEOs; there are many ways to influence it.”
Mr. Ok.N. Radhakrishnan, Director & CEO, TVS Motor Company, burdened the necessity to speed up the transformation of MSMEs into process-driven organisations. He mentioned, “I believe there is a lot to do. As an example, how to transform the 132 MSMEs that TVS Motors has released, in the next 90 days. Transforming Indian companies to be process-driven. Intensify the CEO connect sessions; the more we share, the more we achieve.”
Building Quality and Governance Across Sectors
Day 2 featured 4 keynote addresses that explored how organisations can strengthen their understanding of consumers, problem current methods and processes, and use each successes and failures as alternatives to enhance high quality.
The discussions introduced collectively {industry} leaders round themes together with “Creating Force Multipliers for the Industry-led Movement,” “Quality to Credibility: Building Trust at Global Scale,” “Instilling a Culture of Quality Excellence: Boardroom to Shopfloor,” “From Incremental to Breakthrough: Reimagining Kaizen at Scale,” “Deploying AI for Manufacturing and Services,” and “Strengthening Partnerships Globally.”
Dr. Masahiko Mori, President & Group CEO, DMG MORI, highlighted the significance of understanding buyer wants and utilizing real-world information to enhance merchandise and options. He mentioned, “Customers’ culture is also important, and understanding it is key to acquiring and retaining customers. Gathering data from the customer site is very critical. Using the data, the company can customise the software for customers’ requirements.”
Speaking on the significance of management dedication to steady enchancment, Mr. Yugo Miyamoto, Managing Director, Kaizen Saudi Arabia, Abdul Latif Jameel, mentioned, “Kaizen must become a necessity for the CEO. Not something the CEO supports, not something the CEO sponsors and leads with personal commitment and not something they occasionally visit. A necessity.”
Mr. Stefan Grosch, Member of the Board of Management and Director of Industrial Relations, Robert Bosch GmbH, highlighted the significance of high quality governance and shared his perspective on the alignment between IFQM and international high quality actions. He mentioned, “My experience with EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) has helped me understand the IFQM vision. We understand the quality governance process to help customers achieve their set goals.”
AI: A Challenge And Opportunity For Msmes
The rising position of synthetic intelligence in manufacturing and providers was one other key space of dialogue, with the symposium inspecting how organisations can transfer from experimentation to significant adoption.
The panel, moderated by Mr. Girish Krishnamurthy, MD & CEO, Tata Technologies, and that includes Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, Founder & CEO, Myelin Foundry, and Dr. Lucas Bretz, General Manager, KIT/GAMI, explored whether or not {industry}’s understanding of AI is evolving from experimentation right into a extra mature self-discipline.
The dialogue highlighted the excellence between Core AI-the intelligence layer-and Operational AI, the place AI is embedded into workflows and decision-making. With Large Language Models more and more altering how organisations be taught, function and use know-how, the panel emphasised that AI adoption should be seen as an operating-model alternative somewhat than solely a know-how improve.
For MSMEs, nonetheless, boundaries to adoption stay important. The dialogue highlighted the chance for an IFQM-led platform that may curate, validate and simplify AI options for MSMEs, enabling them to make use of AI as a sensible pressure multiplier somewhat than viewing it as a distant or advanced know-how.
Strengthening Global Partnerships
The symposium additionally strengthened IFQM’s give attention to constructing international partnerships to speed up India’s high quality and innovation journey.
Delivering a particular handle on “Strengthening Partnerships Globally: IFQM and JUSE Collaboration,” Mr. Masato Onodera, Managing Director, JUSE, emphasised the significance of a two-way alternate of information and expertise between India and Japan. He mentioned, “We want to keep this timeline going from Japan to India and from India to Japan. It will be a two-way relationship where we learn from each other and build value together.”
Building Momentum For India’s Quality Movement
Over two days, the IFQM Symposium 2026 introduced collectively round 50 CEOs, 200 CXOs, and a complete participation of greater than 400 together with academicians and college students representatives from authorities, {industry}, academia, international high quality establishments and MSMEs to advance a standard agenda for India’s competitiveness.
The discussions strengthened the necessity for India to maneuver from scale to excellence, from intent to adoption, and from particular person organisational initiatives to a broader industry-led motion for Quality and Innovation. With MSMEs on the coronary heart of India’s financial progress and international provide chains, the symposium highlighted the necessity to equip them with the fitting capabilities, partnerships, expertise and know-how to construct high quality into the way in which they design, manufacture and ship.
The symposium additionally underscored that India’s journey in the direction of Viksit Bharat would require high quality to develop into greater than a course of or metric-it should develop into a tradition, a management dedication and a means of working throughout the nation’s enterprises and provide chains.
About IFQM
Instituted within the 12 months 2023, IFQM is the Indian Foundation for Quality Management ( IFQM) that’s dedicated to the promotion of transformative adjustments throughout Indian industries. It seeks to institutionalize a tradition of high quality that meets and exceeds international requirements. It is about bringing in steady enhancements of each services and products, thereby elevating the notion about Brand India. Committed to the prosperity and high quality of lifetime of all, IFQM capabilities as a catalyst in making Indian companies globally revered with cooperative belief, respect, empathy, and mutual sharing. Through its initiatives, IFQM helps India’s journey in the direction of changing into a developed nation by 2047, with an emphasis on innovation, excellence, and stakeholder engagement throughout sectors.
The IFQM Governing Council, Mr. N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, Mr. Dilip Sanghvi, MD, Sun Pharmaceuticals, Ms. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Biologics, Mr. TV Narendran, CEO & MD, Tata Steel Limited, Mr. Ok.N. Radhakrishnan, Director & CEO, TVS Motor Co, Dr. Randhir Thakur, CEO & MD, Tata Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India & South Asia, Mr. SN Subrahmanyan, Chairman & MD, Larsen & Toubro, Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus, TVS Motor Co & Chairman, IFQM
IFQM on Web: ifqm.org.inIFQM Events: occasions.ifqm.org.inIFQM on social media: www.linkedin.com/firm/ifqm
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