- GLOBAL TRADE DEV
Market
Global Trade Development
GTD - Empowering the Indian Tech Industry
Who is GTD

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMES)
Empowering India’s Tech SMEs to Grow, Scale, and Lead
WHO ARE WE
The Nasscom SME Council is at the forefront of enabling India’s Small and Medium Technology Enterprises to become resilient, future-ready, and globally recognized. Through strategic mentorship, international exposure, skilling, and innovation-driven programs, we help SMEs navigate growth challenges and seize new opportunities in the digital age.
WHAT WE’RE SOLVING FOR
Despite contributing significantly to India's digital economy, many tech SMEs face challenges in accessing global markets, adopting emerging technologies, skilling talent, and scaling sustainably. NASSCOM’s focused interventions ensure these businesses are not left behind but rather positioned to lead.

Nasscom SME Council Priorities

Flagship Platforms for Recognition & Visibility
- SME Inspire Awards: Celebrating excellence across 25 categories—innovation, growth, and delivery leadership.
- Nasscom SME Confluence: Annual knowledge-sharing and networking summit for 1,000+ SME stakeholders.
- SME Annual Report: Insights, trends, and transformation stories of India’s tech SMEs.

Strategic Growth & Mentorship
- DISHA Mentorship: 1:1 guidance from industry experts to help SME founders reach growth milestones.
- 2nd Orbit (IIT Bombay): A residential strategic mentoring retreat for high-growth SMEs.
- DISHA Circle: Peer-focused mentoring for early-stage SMEs from emerging hubs.

Market Expansion & Exposure
- Global Delegations: Participation in international expos like GITEX (Dubai), Vivatech (France), London Tech Week.
- Domestic Market Connect: National and sector-specific expos to boost visibility and B2B access.
- Go-To-Market Sessions: Practical workshops and insights to explore and capture new business opportunities.

Skilling & Academia-Industry Engagement
- C3 – SME–Academia Connect: In-person collaborations with Tier 2/3 city colleges to co-create a job-ready tech workforce.
- FutureSkills Platform Integration: Students upskill in AI, Cybersecurity, and other in-demand fields via curated online content.

AI & Technology Enablement
- AI Champions Program: A 6-month cohort helping SMEs understand, experiment, and adopt AI in practical ways.
- CyberShield: A multi-city initiative to equip SMEs with cybersecurity capabilities, tools, and response frameworks.

Social Impact & CSR
- SMEs for Social Good: A growing movement of tech SMEs co-funding skilling and social development projects. The 2025 cohort impacted 180+ underprivileged students through CSR-led skilling programs.
SME Council Members
Related Voices

Germany’s Mittelstand and India’s Tech Expertise: Unlocking New Frontiers for Innovation
As global markets evolve, the synergy between Germany’s highly specialized Mittelstand enterprises and India’s rapidly expanding digital technology sector presents a unique opportunity for driving innovation and economic growth.

#shemeansbusiness: Spotlightighting Nasscom Member Leaders
Listen to the inspiring journey of Deepika Saxena, President and CEO of NetEdge Computing Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and a Nasscom member. With a bold vision to transform the hiring process, Deepika harnessed the power of AI and automation to bridge the gap bet

#shemeansbusiness: Spotlighting Nasscom Member Leaders
Vidushi Kapoor, CEO of Process Nine Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Nasscom SME Council, shares her journey of driving innovation in language technology. With 15 years of expertise, she has made a mark in the Indian language industry, localization, and tech innovation.
Global Capability Centers
Global Capability Centers
India's 4th generation Global Capability Centers (GCCs) are transitioning; they're stepping into co-leadership roles, igniting innovation in product development and technology. They are significantly benefiting their parent organizations in their capacity as technological hubs of excellence. GCCs seamlessly blend traditional corporate functions with state-of-the-art analytics and AI, amplifying their importance in the global business arena. As they become increasingly essential to corporate strategies, GCCs are rapidly expanding across sectors like finance, healthcare, retail, and tech, serving as accelerators for innovation and leadership. Due to the integration of technology and leadership within GCCs, they on track to become indispensable strategic partners in a globally interconnected business landscape.

GCC Council Member
Related Voices

Why Global Businesses Are Betting Big on India: Nasscom Leaders on GCCs, Innovation, and Growth
Sindhu Gangadharan, Chairperson of Nasscom and MD of SAP Labs India, along with Rajesh Nambiar, President of Nasscom, delve into India’s emergence as a trusted innovation partner for the world. They highlight the increasing strategic importance of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in shaping global tech advancements and explore why international businesses are intensifying their investments and focus on India as a key hub for innovation and growth.

How has India become a hub for mid-sized GCCs?
Indian Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are rapidly evolving from cost centres to strategic value hubs.

The Role of GCCs in Transforming Feature-Based Models into Product-Centric Models
Global Capability Centers (GCCs) have evolved from traditional support roles into strategic hubs that drive business outcomes through end-to-end product ownership & digital transformation.

Top women leaders from #TimesTechies discuss building the next generation of women leaders in GCCs
Top women leaders discuss building the next generation of women leaders in GCCs, featuring a panel of experts, Veda Persad, Country Executive, Northern Trust Corporation, Lalitha Indrakanti, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover Technology and Business Services India and Sindhu Gangadharan, Vice Chairperson, Nasscom and MD, SAP Labs India

India’s Tech Future: Insights from Rajesh Nambiar, Nasscom | Govindraj Ethiraj
In this episode, Rajesh Nambiar, President of Nasscom, joins Govindraj Ethiraj to explore the transformative impact of AI on the traditional IT model.

The AI and GCC Revolution: A Defining Moment for India’s Tech Leadership
Over the past decade, India has emerged as the global epicenter for technology and innovation through its thriving Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
India’s ER&D Ecosystem
A Strategic Partner for Global Innovation
WHO ARE WE
India is emerging as a global hub for full-lifecycle product innovation. With deep strengths in digital engineering, domain expertise, and product realization (DDP), we enable scalable, end-to-end R&D for global enterprises.
The ecosystem brings together global capability centers, service providers, startups, and academia. R&D exports are projected to reach $56B in FY25, up from $33B in FY19, growing at 9.5% CAGR. India now accounts for 27% of total tech exports and nearly half the sector’s growth.

Engineering Is Being Redefined: Three Key Technology Shifts
Global R&D priorities are evolving. India is well-positioned to lead in these three transformative areas:

AI-Native, Software-Defined Engineering
Products are becoming software-first, AI-powered, and continuously upgradable. India offers deep AI integration, digital twin expertise, and mature delivery.

Hyper-Automated and Cognitive Manufacturing
R&D and manufacturing are converging into intelligent, closed-loop systems. India enables real-time automation and production efficiency at scale.

Sustainable and Circular Product Engineering
Sustainability is now central to product design and compliance. India enables lifecycle transparency, material intelligence, and eco-efficient innovation.
STAKEHOLDER IMPACT

R&D Service Providers & GCCs
Expanded global mandates, deeper co-innovation roles, access to world-class talent, and scalable innovation capabilities.

Global Enterprises
De-risked entry into India, access to DDP-led engineering solutions, faster innovation cycles, and a talent pool aligned to global R&D needs.

Startups & Academia
Co-creation opportunities, access to industry-connected talent, and a platform for commercialization and academic collaboration.
Engineering R&D Council Members
BPM
Business Process Management: The Industry Now
India's BPM industry has evolved from backend voice services to intelligent, data-driven operations. This shift is focused on driving business outcomes through an extensive understanding of underlying processes. Now, the industry now offers transformation as a service, emphasizing design thinking, agile delivery, and automation. With a revenue of $47.4 Bn (FY23E) and housing the largest concentration of G2000 companies, India's BPM sector remains a global leader, characterized by cloud-based AI, data monetization, and automation. This evolution positions India at the forefront of delivering BPM 4.0's full potential.
