Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe
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As a successful entrepreneur, influencer, mentor, SME & business rights activist, Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has been providing guidance and support for the last 35 years to SME Sector, manufacturing industries, young entrepreneurs and start-ups for exploring emerging business opportunities as well as he has been on the forefront to resolve the issues & grievances and putting efforts for policy framework change and its implementation, imparting knowledge and skill for better business growth, strengthening and empowering entrepreneurs/Enterprises for the global competitiveness.

Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has founded SME Chamber of India in 1993 to integrate SMEs to provide unique platform to enhance business contacts and business growth. The Chamber has been providing value addition & business advisory services for business transformation, diversification & expansion as well as identifying business partners, channelising finance and investment, international collaborations, export promotion, improving excellence in the manufacturing, quality productivity, preparing them for contract manufacturing, joint ventures, technology transfers, private equity & external commercial borrowings for further business growth, support for supply and procurement, improve creditworthiness and credibility to attract strategic partners & investors, encouraging them to enter into capital market, to take up issues and grievances with the appropriate authorities.

Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has been regularly interacting with the heads of regulatory authorities, financial institutions, corporates, MNCs & diplomats, as well as providing guidance and support to young & women entrepreneurs and members of family-owned businesses, awareness & educational programs on the various schemes, policies, benefits, advantages and incentives, branding of made-in-India products manufactured by Indian SMEs, support to set up manufacturing units in India and abroad, organise various business promotional programs for enhancement of knowledge and skill as well as revival of sick and struggling SMEs. Under his dynamic, indomitable & visionary leadership, SME Chamber of India has been organising regularly various high profile and useful National & International level trade promotional activities, events, conferences, seminars, webinars, round table discussions, study visits for the benefit of SME sector, to enhance and establish business co-operation with the potential business partners.

Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has also been instrumental to secure the interests of SME sector for change in “Ease of Doing Business”, affecting rules & regulations of various regulatory bodies, strongly advocated to set up “SME Stock Exchange”, TReDS – Electronic platform for Trade Receivables, National Skill Development Corporation, Change of Definition of SME sector in the years of 2002 & 2020, exclusive SME Divisions in the various State Governments and SME Desk in the Indian Embassies in the various countries, Start-up India platform and collateral free financial facilities for SME sector.

Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe is being involved in the family-owned business from 1982, having Commerce & Business Management educational background, has established his own business group “Macro Group of Companies” in 1991, situated in Mumbai and involved in manufacturing and export of Packaging Machinery, Equipments and material, industrial products, food processing products, industrial Equipments and supporting various Industries & SMEs for the upgradation of their packaging units & adoption of the advanced packaging technology, patented and advanced industrial technologies for quality productivity.

Macro Group of companies

◉   Macro Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd.

◉   Salunkhe Packaging Pvt. Ltd.

◉   SME Industrial Park India Pvt. Ltd.

◉   Salunkhe Exports Pvt. Ltd

◉   SME Credit Check Pvt. Ltd.

◉   Geoptech Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Salunkhe has been recognising entrepreneurs, small & medium enterprises & institutions for their outstanding contributions & remarkable achievements in their respective businesses for innovation, invention & towards nation building for the last 23 years by conferring the national levels “India SME Excellence Awards” for projecting “Rising SMEs of India”, “Pride of Maharashtra”, “Pride of Gujarat” & “Emerging & Innovative SMEs of the Year” Awards.

Mr. Salunkhe has established various organisations & brands to provide platforms to the entrepreneurs to connect, communicate & commercialise their business ideas, business & export growth. Mr. Salunkhe has been travelling extensively for the business growth & establishing co-operation with the various organisations from USA, Canada, UK, Israel, various European Countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Singapore, Bahrain, UAE, South Africa, Oman, Mauritius, Qatar, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and all GCC Countries.

Mr. Salunkhe is keen to receive various suggestions and recommendations to support & transform SME sector and manufacturing industries for their better business growth, global competitiveness, industrial output & to avail emerging business opportunities in the global markets.

Organisations & Brands exclusively initiated by Mr. Salunkhe:

◉   SME Chamber of India (Small and Medium Business Development Chamber of India)

◉   Federation of Indian SME Associations(FISA)

◉   India International Trade Centre (Trade and Investment Promotion Organisation)

◉   Maharashtra Industry Development Association (MIDA)

◉   Gujarat Industry Development Association (GIDA)

◉   Marathi Chamber of Business and Industries

◉   World SME Trade Centre

◉   SME Industrial Parks of India

◉   SME Export Promotion Council

◉   SME Business Management Institute

◉   SME Credit Check Pvt. Ltd.

◉   Packaging Industry Association of India (PIAI)

◉   SME Investment Promotion Council

◉   SME Technology Development Council

◉   SME Insurance Promotion Council

◉   SME Shark Tank

◉   SME E-News 24/7 & India SME TV

◉   Start-Ups Council of India

◉   SME Business Forum

◉   Entrepreneurship Development division

◉   Women Entrepreneurs Development Council

◉   “SMEtalks” & “SMECoach” Platforms

◉   SME Connect – Magazine

◉   International Business Forums of India

  • India - US SME Business Council
  • India - Canada SME Business Council
  • Europe - India SME Business Council
  • India - Japan SME Business Council
  • India - GCC SME Business Council
  • India - UK SME Business Council
  • India - China Business Council
  • India - Hungary Business Council
  • India - Africa SME Business Council
  • India - Germany SME Business Council
  • India - South Korea SME Business Council
  • India - Brazil SME Business Council
  • India - Poland SME Business Council
  • India - Italy SME Business Council
  • India - Romania Business Council
  • India - Bulgaria Business Council

Contributions & Efforts of Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe

◉   Mr. Salunkhe was invited by Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister on 27th December 2019, to give a presentation on the various issues and grievances of SME sector and provide his suggestions & recommendations as well as the initiatives and strategies to be adopted by the Government Departments for the empowerment of SME sector for better performance & global competitiveness.

◉   Mr. Salunkhe Organized SME & Entrepreneurship Awards function in the presence of the then Hon’ble Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 1st May, 2002 at New Delhi and recommended to change the definitions of Small-Scale Industrial sector and to create new MSME Act.

◉   Member of RBI Governor’s Pre-Monetary Policy Review Committee for the last 15 years.

◉   Member, RBI Empowered Committee for SMEs and SLIC for the various States for the last 15 years.

◉   Member of the working group to study “MSME Development Act, 2006” for advocating to change the definitions of MSME sector constituted on 8th January 2020 by the Ministry and previously 2002, 2005 & 2006.

◉   Key note Speaker at “European SME Congress” organized by European commission in October 2016 at Katowice, Poland.

◉   Key note Speaker at “SME Assembly” organized by the European commission in November 2013 at Vilnius, Lithuania.

◉   Speaker at “World Trade Symposium” annual conference organized by the Financial Times in June 2016 at London.

◉   Speaker at G-20 Conference on SME sector at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2014.

◉   He has inaugurated the “Industrial & Commercial Bank of China” – ICBC Bank, India Branch on 15th September 2011 at Mumbai. ICBC is the world’s largest Chinese Bank, with a brand value of more than US$ 55 billion. ICBC Bank ranks 13th amongst the most valuable financial brands.

◉   Active Member of the Industry and Task Force, Maharashtra, under the Chairmanship of the then Chief Minister (2002 – 2007).

◉   Member of the National Advisory Board of MSME, Government of India (2011-2013).

◉   Advocated to set up “SME Stock Exchange” during the tenure of Mr. C B Bhave, as the Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from 2008 to 2010.

◉   Board of Director of Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels Ltd. (2002 – 2004).

◉   Board of Director of Asia Mergers and Acquisitions Association.

◉   Advocated to initiate National Skill Development Corporation through Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the then Deputy Chairman, Planning commission of India in 2008.

◉   Organized SME & Entrepreneurship Awards function in the presence of the then Hon’ble Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani on 1st May, 2003 at New Delhi.

◉   He was on the forefront to Organize the first ever & a mega event on “Global Investors Meet” - Advantage Maharashtra, jointly with the Government of Maharashtra in 1996 at Mumbai. He had invited the then Prime minister, Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda and the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Manohar Joshi and 500 plus foreign delegates, who attended 3 days event.

◉   Mr. Salunkhe was appointed as the Chairman of Law & Order of “Federation of Association of Maharashtra”, and he was on the forefront with the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai to weed out goons & anti-social elements, which were affecting the businesses and industries in Mumbai region and they have deteriorated law and order situations in Mumbai from April to November, 1998.

◉   Mr. Salunkhe has taken lead to provide collateral free loans to micro and small enterprises in 1997 and SIDBI has accepted his proposal and Shri Prakash Nimbalkar, the then Chairman of the Bank launched this scheme. Thereafter, Mr. Salunkhe has also pursued for the enhancement of collateral free loans from Rs.25 lakhs to Rs.50 lakhs and from Rs.50 lakhs to Rs.1 crore and subsequently, from Rs.1 crore to Rs.2 crores.

◉   Mr. Salunkhe has also suggested and pursued with the Prime Minister’s Office to enhance collateral free loans up to Rs. 5 crores for SME sector, which is considered and approved by the Government.

◉   He has been active Member of the various Government Committees, Study Groups and expert group to present new concepts and new ideas and given inputs on Industry, Finance and SME Sector for the last 20 years.

◉  He has been regularly participating in the national and international conferences as a speaker and sharing his views on the current affairs through various medias, TV channels, Business magazines, newspapers and webinars, conferences, round table, debates and various events & business meetings.

Mr. Salunkhe can be contacted on : president@smechamber.com

Role and Responsibility of the members of National Advisory Board

◉   To provide advice to organise various activities (virtual or ground events) for the empowerment of SME sector.
◉  To share views, new ideas & concepts for the benefit of SME sector
◉  To give suggestions and recommendations for policy framework change and its implementations, new schemes, incentives, plans & unique strategies for strengthening of SMEs for global competitiveness
◉  To participate in the various events, expert committee meetings and round table discussions with SMEs, Union Ministers, Government Officials, Heads of Agencies and Regulatory Bodies
◉  To associate & contribute in various projects or assignments taken up by the Chamber from Private sector or Government departments for the advantages of SME sector as per their expertise & interest.
◉  To guide and mentor SMEs, Start-Ups, Women and Young Entrepreneurs for business growth and transformation of SMEs into emerging enterprises.
◉  To represent the Chamber at the private, public and Government platforms.
◉  To review various issues related to SMEs and present to appropriate Government departments.
◉  To advise & encourage SMEs to become member of the Chamber to avail various support services for the business growth and expansion/diversification.
◉  To be the member of various expert committees or task force of the Chamber and Government Authorities
◉  To recommend Corporate, MNCs, companies or institutions for collaborations, association, sponsorship and membership
◉  To share articles for SMEConnect Magazine on various topics
◉  To suggest the member to be nominated as the member on various Government committees
◉  To recommend successful SMEs or Enterprises for India SME Excellence Awards
◉  To share views on the various TV Channels, media and member of the panel discussion
◉  The Chamber or members of the board will not be responsible for any personal or business issues or such legal complications or personal issues or legal cases of any member of the Board.
◉  Views, statements and opinions shared by any member in media or any other platform or event, will be their personal understandings. In this regard the chamber or board members will not be responsible or accountable for any legal complications.
◉  Members will not be responsible for any financial or legal complications arising from the activities of the Chamber or its office bearers or members

Views and compliments or Complaints can be shared on secretariat@smechamber.com



National Advisory Board

June 2023 - May 2025


Chairman of National Advisory Board

Members of the Board



Varadhan T. R
Mr. Varadhan T. R.

Director
Mascot Systems Pvt. Ltd.
Vice-President of the Chamber

Mr. Pratapsingh Nathani
Mr. Pratapsingh Nathani

Founder
Beacon Trusteeship Ltd. and Vermillion Finalytics Pvt. Ltd. and Vice-President of the Chamber

Mr. Virendra Jhamb
Mr. Virendra Jhamb

Founder & MD
Clean Earth Energy Solution India Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Kishor Kharat
Mr. Kishor Kharat

Former MD & CEO, Indian Bank and IDBI Bank and Chairman, SME Banking and Finance Council, SME Chamber of India

Dr. Rajendra Jagdale
Dr. Rajendra Jagdale

Director General and CEO
Science and Technology Park (An Institute Promoted by Dept. of Science & Technology, Government of India)

Prof. Seema Saini
Prof. Seema Saini

CEO
N. L. Dalmia Educational Society

Mr. Jamal Mecklai
Mr. Prashant Nagre

Managing Director
Fermenta Biotech Ltd.

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Mr. Jamal Mecklai
Managing Director, Fermenta Biotech Ltd.


Prashant Nagre serves as the Managing Director at Fermenta Biotech Limited. He holds a Degree in Pharmacy along with a Master in Management Sciences degree and is a Gold Medalist Post Graduate Diploma holder in International Trade from the prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi.

With a career spanning 26 years, Prashant has comprehensive experience across various spheres encompassing Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Human and Animal Nutrition domains. He has been associated with Fermenta for almost a decade, leading strategy and overseeing day to day operations of all three business verticals viz. Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals and Environmental Solutions. He also focuses on further building and developing the various strengths of Fermenta i.e. Manufacturing, R&D and allied activities. He forms a core member of the product development team and is also responsible for creating and nurturing large business account relationships. Known for his meticulous planning skills, Prashant adds impetus to timely deliveries of products, quality orientation and human resource development within the company.

Dr. R. Seetharaman
Dr. R. Seetharaman

Principal Advisor, India - GCC SME Business Council
Former Chief Executive Officer of Doha Bank

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Dr. R. Seetharaman
Principal Advisor, India - GCC SME Business Council
Former Chief Executive Officer of Doha Bank


Dr. Seetharaman has been appointed as a Member of International Advisory Board of SME Chamber of India and Principal Advisor of India-GCC SME Business Council. The Chamber has been putting efforts for the growth of SMEs and exploring emerging business opportunities related to exports & imports facilitation, identifying business partners for investment, joint ventures, collaborations, technology transfers, contract manufacturing and private equity & supporting SMEs for global competitiveness. The Chamber is 30 years old and founded by Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe. Mr. Salunkhe has also initiated India-GCC SME Business Council to provide a vibrant platform to SMEs and manufacturing industries from India and GCC countries to enhance multi-lateral trade, investment promotion, setting up manufacturing units and other businesses in GCC countries. The Council is resolving various issues and grievances faced by the companies and trade barriers and hurdles.
Dr. R. Seetharaman was associated with Doha Bank since 2007 as a Chief Executive Officer. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds certificate in IT systems, Corporate Management and economic expert, who has achieved remarkable success for his contributions to Banking, Trade, Investment & Social responsibility. He is recipient of multiple doctorates from leading universities of the world with the 3 PhDs in Global Governance by European University; Green Banking and Sustainability from Sri Sri University and “Economic Implications of Global citizenship” by Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management.
He was recognized and conferred by the Government of India with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. He was also conferred “Life time Achievement Award” from the Institute of Directors at the Global Summit and also recently conferred “Life time Achievement Award” by the Entrepreneur Middle East at the "Leaders in Fintech Awards 2023" in Dubai.

Prakash Patel
Mr. Prakash Patel

Managing Director, Bhumi World Industrial Park and Vice President, SME Chamber of India (Industrial Parks & SEZs)

Mr. A. K. Garg
Mr. Alessandro Giuliani

Managing Director
SDA Bocconi Asia Centre (India and Italy)

Mr. Subodh Shinkar
Mr. Subodh Shinkar

Former MD & CEO
Investment Advisory & Distribution, JM Financial Ltd.

Mr. Samir Sathe
Mr. Samir Sathe

Chief Executive Officer, EKSAQ

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Mr.Samir Sathe
Chief Executive Officer, EKSAQ

Samir Sathe is a seasoned professional with 31 years of broad global experience in education, skilling, empowerment, advisory, strategy, consulting, mentoring and coaching roles/sectors. He has spent his professional life in being a disruptive thought leader with 40+ national and international publications, 50+ speaking engagements and media appearances. He is in the process of authoring a book on role of emotions in organisational longevity. Samir has transformed 600+ small and large businesses, with an on-the-ground implementation experience of 100+ cases. Samir has won three awards that recognise his contribution to the society.
Samir is a high energy, decisive, visionary and empathetic leader, who believes in continuous reinvention and the value of building institutions of enduring value, for the benefit of the society. His skills in building stakeholder consensus, innovation and intellectual property development, systems psychology, networking and entrepreneurship, and building AI enabled technology platforms of scalable solutions, will help the company transform into a global powerhouse in K-12 education.
Samir is a Master in Consulting, Coaching and Change from INSEAD, France, and is trained in systems psychology. Samir has taken courses in ‘Challenges of Global Poverty’ from MIT and ‘Leading Professional Service Firms’ from HBS.

Ms. Manjusha Bhave
Ms. Manjusha Bhave

Chairperson & MD
GIIAVA Group of Companies
India & Singapore

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Ms. Manjusha Bhave
Chairperson & MD
GIIAVA Group of Companies
India & Singapore

Mrs. Manjusha Bhave has been appointed as a Chairperson of Women Entrepreneurs Development Council (WEDC) for Maharashtra State for 3 years to accomplish the objectives of the Council. Mrs. Bhave is a successful global entrepreneur and Managing Director of M/s. Giiava Group involving manufacturing activities & spread across India & Singapore and based in Pune, having Rs.100 crores turnover of her own company and her family-owned business is also having approximately Rs.1,000 crores in BIOTECH & AGRITECH products. She has been regularly organizing training and educational programs under the CSR activities & encouraging women to become entrepreneurs and empowering as well as skilling existing women entrepreneurs for sustainable growth.

Mr. Markus Pfefferer
Mr. Markus Pfefferer

Managing Partner
COMANO Advisory LLP
Bangalore, India

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Mr. Markus Pfefferer
Managing Partner
COMANO Advisory LLP
Bangalore, India


With close to thirty years of experience in seven countries, Markus Pfefferer brings an extremely unique skill set to the table.
Having headed organisations in multiple countries, Markus is an extremely competent leader. He has the added advantage of having a consulting background, which is coupled with several years of experience in market research and global strategic planning across multiple industries including technology, renewable energy, automotive and heavy engineering.
Markus is uniquely qualified to foster business cooperation and collaborative agreements spanning huge geographies. He is a European who has had leadership experience in the Middle East, China and India.
After completing a stint in the United Nations, as a part of his MBA project, Markus began his career with BMW. He is an acclaimed speaker in his areas of expertise and lends a completely global dimension to all his undertakings.
Markus speaks three languages in addition to his native German- English, French and Arabic.

Mr. Ajit Shah
Mr. Ajit Shah

CEO
Universal Connections (Consultancy on International Trade & Training)

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Mr. Ajit Shah
CEO, Universal Connections (Consultancy on International Trade & Training)


Mr. Ajit Shah is Bcom. LLB.
He is a consultant in Export Import field for more than 35 years.
He has travelled internationally extensively.
He covers the area of :
• Foreign Trade Policy
• Export Documentation
• Custom procedures
• FEMA and RBI regulations / Banking
• International Marketing
Mr. Ajit shah is also a trainer for many years.
He is regularly delivering his lectures with Export Promotion Councils, Export Import organizations, Colleges and Banks
He has written about 15 books on Export-Import.

Mr. Rajesh Bhagat
Mr. Rajesh Bhagat

Managing Director
Worldex India Exhibition & Promotion Pvt. Ltd.

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Mr. Rajesh Bhagat
Managing Director, Worldex India Exhibition & Promotion Pvt. Ltd.


Rajesh Bhagat is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Managing Director of Worldex India Exhibition & Promotion Pvt. Ltd., a company dedicated to international trade promotion and investment. His company organises many international exhibitions in different industry segments.
Rajesh was appointed Consultant in 2009 by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and currently oversees operations across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. His office was also awarded the ‘Best Branch Award 2015’ by HKTDC.

Mr. Ravindra Kumar
Mr. Ravindra Kumar

Former Director
Standard Bank (South Africa) and Consultant, Finance & Investment)

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Mr. Ravindra Kumar
Former Director
Standard Bank (South Africa) and Consultant, Finance & Investment)


Ravindra has done his Masters in Finance and CAIIB from Indian Institute of Bankers, Mumbai. His banking experience includes a stint with the State Bank of India at its largest Corporate branch, with HDFC Bank, Mumbai as part of its startup team, with ABN AMRO Bank as C&IB head of its western India region, with CALYON Bank as India head of its C&IB business and later as India head of ING Wholesale & Investment Banking business. His most recent assignment was with Standard Bank of South Africa as Senior Regional Head-South Asia & Country in charge India. During his banking career he has been associated with a number of landmark structured financing, ECA backed loans, capital markets, M&A advisory and Debt Restructuring transactions both onshore and offshore for several large Indian corporates and MNCs.
He has specialized in structured lending, project finance, equity raising, internationally syndicated loans and international trade finance to Corporates, Banks & FIs as well as SME sector. Many of his managerial assignments include successful Greenfield ventures or turn around projects. He sat on Board of International Asset Reconstruction Company, India from 2009 to 2013 and was also a member of its Investment & Resolution Committee for stressed debt business. He is an independent mentor, consultant and advisor on matters relating to M&A, risk management, project financing, raising resources, financial restructuring and international trade. He is also a Principal Advisor to Dolma Financial & PE Group, Nepal.

Management Team


Mr. S. Maheshkumar
Mr. S. Maheshkumar

Director & General Secretary
SME Chamber of India

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Mr. S. Maheshkumar
Director & General Secretary
SME Chamber of India


Mahesh Salunkhe has graduated from the Arts faculty. His business association has started his career growth as far back as 26 years. He has developed the core competency in liaison with various businesses, financial institutions, corporates, MNCs, Government departments, bureaucrats, regulatory Authorities, local and district level administrative authorities, etc. Because of his high-level contacts, he could liaison with various authorities in order to solve the problems and issues of manufacturing industries, SMEs, and other institutions, seamlessly. He has recommended and suggested various policy matters to the banking sector, State and Central Governments, Ministries of MSME, Finance, Commerce, and various departments, relating to manufacturing, export finance, imports, etc. Because of this, many policy changes have been brought out and implemented in the SME sector to benefit the business communities.
Mahesh Salunkhe is one of the Directors of the SME Chamber of India, Maharashtra Industrial and Economic Development Association, Federation of Indian SME Associations, and Macro Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd. Being a working director on the Boards of these organizations, he has been actively involved in the day-to-day activities of the organizations in helping the members as well as nonmembers of these organizations. He has been hand-holding and imparting genuine knowledge to these organizations in channelizing their business activities both in core and non-core sectors.
He is a subject matter expert in advising and assisting Small and Medium Industries for channelizing Debt finance, Business Planning and Financial Modeling, Financial Management, general insurance, SME – Corporate and financial strategies, Capital projects consulting Strategy, CFO Advisory Services, Business Performance Management (BPM) solutions, Preparation of project reports & financial documents, Product profitability analysis, Working Capital and Short Term Financing, Enhancement in Working Capital Facilities, Substitution of high-cost debts with low-cost debts, etc. He looks after the development of manufacturing and service sector Industries, Infrastructure, finance, realty, power, IT, co-operative, and other businesses.

Ms. Saakshi Kulkarni
Ms. Saakshi Kulkarni

Director
SME Chamber of India

Ms. Madhuri Khanwalkar
Ms. Madhuri Khanwalkar

Secretary General
SME Chamber of India



International Advisory Board

June 2023 - May 2025


Chairman of International Advisory Board

Members of International Advisory Board


Dr. R. Seetharaman
Dr. R. Seetharaman

Principal Advisor, India - GCC SME Business Council
Former Chief Executive Officer of Doha Bank

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Dr. R. Seetharaman
Principal Advisor, India - GCC SME Business Council
Former Chief Executive Officer of Doha Bank


Dr. Seetharaman has been appointed as a Member of International Advisory Board of SME Chamber of India and Principal Advisor of India-GCC SME Business Council. The Chamber has been putting efforts for the growth of SMEs and exploring emerging business opportunities related to exports & imports facilitation, identifying business partners for investment, joint ventures, collaborations, technology transfers, contract manufacturing and private equity & supporting SMEs for global competitiveness. The Chamber is 30 years old and founded by Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe. Mr. Salunkhe has also initiated India-GCC SME Business Council to provide a vibrant platform to SMEs and manufacturing industries from India and GCC countries to enhance multi-lateral trade, investment promotion, setting up manufacturing units and other businesses in GCC countries. The Council is resolving various issues and grievances faced by the companies and trade barriers and hurdles.
Dr. R. Seetharaman was associated with Doha Bank since 2007 as a Chief Executive Officer. He is a Chartered Accountant and holds certificate in IT systems, Corporate Management and economic expert, who has achieved remarkable success for his contributions to Banking, Trade, Investment & Social responsibility. He is recipient of multiple doctorates from leading universities of the world with the 3 PhDs in Global Governance by European University; Green Banking and Sustainability from Sri Sri University and “Economic Implications of Global citizenship” by Sri Sharda Institute of Indian Management.
He was recognized and conferred by the Government of India with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. He was also conferred “Life time Achievement Award” from the Institute of Directors at the Global Summit and also recently conferred “Life time Achievement Award” by the Entrepreneur Middle East at the "Leaders in Fintech Awards 2023" in Dubai.

Mr. Ajay Jha
Mr. Ajay Jha

CEO
INNOP Global Incubator / Accelerator Denver, Colorado, USA

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Mr. Ajay Jha
CEO, INNOP Global Incubator / Accelerator Denver, Colorado, USA


Ajay Jha is the Founder of InnoP – Innovative Preneurship, a boutique global innovation, incubation & mentor-driven co-working space located in Fort Collins, Colorado. InnoP incubates and accelerates start-ups in the Agri-Tech, Nutrition, Biotech, Healthcare, Energy, and Big Data sectors, and promotes global trade and investment.
Originally from India, Ajay has over 20 years of global business experience. He obtained his Ph.D. in biotechnology from Delhi University, and began his career as an Advisor for Agri-Tech ventures, building international partnerships between Indian companies and organizations abroad.
In 2001, Ajay relocated to the U.S. to pursue a post-doctoral degree, followed by MBA, at Colorado State University. Since then, he has worked as an expert consultant to a number of different American and foreign companies looking to expand their trade and investments internationally. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, and helped U.S. as well as Indian companies enter the global market and internal attract talent.
At InnoP, Ajay now acts as a mentor to Colorado-based startups that are looking to go global. He helps them raise capital, build strategies for global trade, and develop partnerships overseas

Mr Rakhmad Sobirov
Mr Rakhmad Sobirov

Managing Director
Sobirovs Law Firm, Toronto, Canada
Director – India-Canada SME Business Council ( Canada Region)

Mr. Deepak Shinde
Mr. Deepak Shinde

Chief Representative (Supply Chain & Sourcing) Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
Shanghai, China

Mr. Radion Popov
Mr. Radion Popov

Director, Europe – India SME Business Council and Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria

Mr. Utkarsh Koregaonkar
Mr. Utkarsh Koregaonkar

Director
Fairfield Market Research
London, UK

Mr. Miten Mehta
Mr. Miten Mehta

Global Business Leader, Xoogler, Google Cloud (GCP), Chief Alliance Officer, CleverTap and Director of Start-Ups Council of India for USA (Initiated by SME Chamber of India)

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Mr. Miten Mehta
Global Business Leader, Xoogler, Google Cloud (GCP), Chief Alliance Officer, CleverTap and Director of Start-Ups Council of India for USA (Initiated by SME Chamber of India)


Miten is customer centric, revenue focused, results driven, compassionate business leader with strong bias for action and outcomes. He brings over 25 years of technology experience in strategic alliances, partner ecosystem, channel sales & GTM, account management & growth, customer & partner relationship, business development, community engagement, product innovation and solution evangelist.
Miten is a Xoogler. At Google, he led strategic customer & partner accounts and developer communities at Google Cloud (GCP). He established FaaS (Feedback-as-a-Service) to build Customer Adoption Platform (CAP) to reward & recognize real-time contributions from ecosystem communities, based on their impact on product improvisation & innovation, surfaced & prioritized through community votes – to drive user engagement and product adoption.
Prior to Fractal, he was Chief Alliance Officer at CleverTap where he crafted and rolled out CAN (CleverTap Alliance Network) globally across six regions. CAN contributed significantly in accelerating revenue growth non-linearly through Solution Partners (‘scale together’) and contributing compounding strategic value, through deep integration in the customer tech stack, with Technology partners (‘better together’).
Deeply passionate about building digital-tech business and scaling it globally leveraging partner ecosystem and distribution network to reduce CAC and churn, expand margins and increase ACV & ARR. He brings deep domain expertise in digital and SaaS business and has developed 3P flywheel growth model of -People, Products and Partnerships, with customers in the center.

Mr. Sailesh Nathan
Mr. Sailesh Nathan

Chairman & MD, Buy–Do-Buy Advertising LLC, Dubai and Regional Director, SME Chamber of India (GCC Countries)

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Mr. Sailesh Nathan
Chairman & MD, Buy–Do-Buy Advertising LLC, Dubai and Regional Director, SME Chamber of India (GCC Countries)


Sailesh Nathan is the President of Diplomats Summit – a global enterprise which connects the private and public sectors across borders. DS is profoundly rooted in the concept of globalization and reflects as a welcoming platform where people from myriad industries join hands to explore the avenues of growth. For more than two decades, DS has been the catalyst to numerous entrepreneurs for successfully expanding their footprints worldwide. From SMEs to MMEs, local to international, Mr. Nathan goes that extra mile to bridge the gaps and facilitate resources to these entrepreneurs thus identifying promising opportunities around the world.
DS escalates on its credibility with its case studies that map out successful business set-ups, lucrative joint ventures, valuable funding plans, constructive partnerships and mergers as well as favorable acquisitions in Dubai, UAE, Middle East, India, Europe, Africa and numerous other countries.
Mr. Nathan also has more verticals of business to his name. A well-established entrepreneur and leader based in Dubai. Managing Director of BuyDoBuy Advertising LLC (www.bdbme.com), an award-winning and leading events and brand management agency, and Dot Ten Technical Services (www.dot10tech.com), specializing in Design, retail branding, interiors and fabrications. Chairman of SME Chamber of India & India GCC Business Counsel, a diploma holder in Mass Media, Photography and Events from USA and is also a specialist in the spheres of hospitality and F & B.

Datuk Abdul Malik Abdullah
Datuk Abdul Malik Abdullah

Group Chairman, D'Tandoor International Group of Companies, Malaysia

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Datuk Abdul Malik Abdullah
Group Chairman, D'Tandoor International Group of Companies, Malaysia


An MBA holder with more than 30 years of experience in the F&B sector, Datuk Abdul Malik Abdullah is a tested entrepreneur who has built the business from scratch. His strong business acumen has been instrumental in carving out the success of D’Tandoor Food Industries. As well as being chairman of the board, he is the company’s leading representative in presenting the company’s aims and policies.

Mr. Rajeev Supekar
Mr. Rajeev Supekar

Director,
Global Business Development Division, Chodai Co. Ltd.
Tokyo- Japan

Coordinating Team


Mr. S. Maheshkumar
Mr. S. Maheshkumar

Director & General Secretary
SME Chamber of India

Ms. Saakshi Kulkarni
Ms. Saakshi Kulkarni

Director
SME Chamber of India