Business Today felicitates the best SMEs

The fourth edition of the Business Today-YES Bank SME awards, which recognise the best small and medium enterprises in the country, was held on April 10, 2013, at the ITC Maurya, New Delhi.

Vadodara-based Ankur Scientific Energy Technologies won the overall Best SME award in the small (revenue below Rs 50 crore) category. Delhi based-DFM Foods walked away with the overall Best SME award in the medium (Rs 50- Rs 200 crore) category.
 In all 15 awards were given away across eight categories.

Sriprakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of Coal, was chief guest at the function, and K H Muniyappa, Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Ministry was the guest of honour. Business Today Editor Chaitanya Kalbag welcomed the august gathering, while Ashish Bagga, CEO of India Today Group, introduced the chief guest and the guest of honour to the audience.

In his address to the gathering, Jaiswal noted: "Unemployment can only be reduced with the help of small and medium entrepreneurs."

Muniyappa dwelt on the crucial role MSMEs played in the economy. "The MSME sector contributes nine per cent of GDP and is the most crucial link between India's economic growth and socio-economic progress," he said.

In 2009, the first year of the SME awards, there had been around 10,000 applications from companies.  In 2010, the number rose to 68,000 and in 2011, to 2.8 lakh. This year, 4.1 lakh companies competed for the awards.

Grant Thornton, the professional services firm that validated the awards, was the knowledge partner for the event. Black Dog CDs was an event partner.