IIM Bangalore's Jha Outlines 3 MSME Priorities at Sparks 2026
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- Srivardhini Jha, Chairperson of Entrepreneurship at IIM Bangalore, told MSME Sparks 2026 (a virtual event June 22–25 culminating June 26 at ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru) that MSMEs now compete with digital-first brands and larger companies moving into niche markets.
- Jha identified trust as the enduring MSME advantage, saying: "MSMEs have always relied heavily on trust as the bedrock of transactions" — and that this will still matter even as competition becomes less local.
- Jha warned technology alone won't make MSMEs efficient, arguing they also need standard operating procedures and employees with basic digital fluency, since many available solutions are built for much larger companies.
- Jha said AI is only as effective as the data behind it and urged founders to start with rudimentary tools like a well-maintained Excel sheet; she expects AI adoption to be easier for repetitive work such as RFPs, contract management, and market research, but cautioned against using AI for creative or end-to-end customer-facing functions.
- Jha outlined three priorities for the year ahead: clarity of mission, building a strong data architecture with low-capital tools, and adopting an entrepreneurial mindset that anticipates where customer needs will move over the next three to four years.
- Jha flagged a "king mindset" in family-run businesses — founders who avoid delegation, external capital, or professional leadership — and said expansion often requires giving up control by hiring experienced leaders with equity or raising outside investment.
- Jha closed optimistically, noting many technologies are already affordable and expressing hope that AI will make technology "even more affordable for MSMEs in the years ahead."
Why it matters: Jha is giving founders a low-cost action plan grounded in a single insight: trust alone won't defend MSMEs against digital-first competitors. Her concrete prescription — even an Excel sheet counts as data infrastructure, start small on AI, and break the "king mindset" by taking outside capital or professional leaders — gives resource-constrained founders a sequencing roadmap for the next 12 months rather than generic tech-adoption advice.
