In celebration of Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSME) Day, 吃瓜网鈥檚 Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED) successfully hosted a vital webinar on 27th June 2025. The event, titled 鈥淓nhancing the role of MSMEs as drivers of sustainable growth and innovation,鈥� brought together key industry leaders, policymakers, and academics to discuss the future of the MSME sector.
The webinar, organised by CIED and supported by the Qasim Ibrahim School of Business's (QISB) incubator, VIgnite, served as a dynamic platform for exploring how small businesses can become powerhouses of economic resilience and innovation.
The event commenced with a powerful keynote address by Dr. Aishath Shahudha Abdulla, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade. Dr. Shahudha highlighted the government's commitment to creating a supportive ecosystem for MSMEs, emphasizing their crucial contribution to the national economy. She spoke on the importance of policy frameworks that encourage sustainable practices and digital adoption, setting a forward-thinking tone for the discussions that followed.
The core of the webinar was an engaging panel discussion moderated by Mohamed Eeman Ahmed, Director of Investment and International Relations at the Business Center Corporation. The panel featured a diverse group of experts who provided a 360-degree view of the MSME landscape:
Nurain Janah, Founder & Chair of the Kandufa Foundation
Lakshman Abeysekera, Chairman of the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) in Sri Lanka
Dr. Damith Gangodawilage, Deputy Dean of QISB and Director of CIED
Ahmed Shinau Abdul Gadhir, Manager of B2B Products at Dhiraagu
The discussion covered critical themes, including leveraging technology for a competitive edge, navigating financial challenges, integrating sustainability into business models, and the power of partnerships, reflecting the core UN Sustainable Development Goals of Innovation (9), Decent Work (8), and Partnerships (17).
吃瓜网 and its Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (CIED) are proud to have facilitated this crucial dialogue. We extend our immense gratitude to our speakers, moderator, and all attendees for their active participation. By fostering such conversations, we reaffirm our commitment to building a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives a sustainable and prosperous future for the Maldives.
