ICMM Overview

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the pillars of economies around the world, and they contribute to economic growth and employment generation, and introduce innovative offerings and processes in the marketplace. Their significance extends beyond their economic contribution; MSMEs embody entrepreneurial dynamism, regional balance, and social inclusivity. Historically, the sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience, adapting to diverse economic cycles, policy reforms, and global shifts.

Over the last few decades, MSMEs have exhibited remarkable resilience in the face of structural changes—ranging from liberalization in the 1990s to global financial crises and, more recently, the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have consistently adapted by leveraging local knowledge, resourcefulness, and flexible business models. However, the environment in which MSMEs now operate is more complex and demanding than ever before. Global value chains are being reorganized, consumer expectations are rapidly evolving, and technology is transforming production, distribution, and market interfaces. This confluence of factors places MSMEs at a critical juncture: providing challenges and opportunities at the same time.

MSMEs continue to face constrained access to formal finance, high costs of compliance, skill gaps in their workforce, and limited capacity to adopt digital technologies. The dominance of the informal sector within MSMEs adds further complexity, as it restricts their ability to scale and integrate with formal supply chains. Moreover, questions of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—are gaining salience as enterprises are expected to align with broader developmental and climate goals. Addressing these challenges requires a reimagining of MSMEs: not merely as small-scale entities surviving on the margins, but as dynamic organizations capable of innovation, competitiveness, and global relevance.

ICMM 2026 intends to explore these interesting questions and contribute to the research on MSMEs by creating a platform for dialogue and engagement between researchers, entrepreneurs, professionals, and policymakers. In this regard, the Indian Institute of Management Amritsar, India, in collaboration with The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, USA, presents the 5th International Conference on Management of MSMEs 2026 under the theme of “Reimagining MSMEs: Pathways to Growth and Innovation”.

We invite the academic community, practitioners, and policy-makers to participate in the ICMM 2026 conference and join hands with the Institute of Management Amritsar, India, in the efforts to transform Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. Welcome to Amritsar, India, in January 2026.

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Amritsar is the 15th IIM set up by the Ministry of Education (earlier Ministry of Human Resource Development), Government of India, with the support of the Government of Punjab. IIM Amritsar offers a two-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program, a specialized MBA in Human Resources and Business Analytics, a two-year EMBA Program in the hybrid mode, Integrated Program in Management (IPM), Master's in Data Science and Management (jointly with IIT Ropar), a Doctoral Program, Post-Doctoral Fellowship, and various customized short and long-duration Management Development Programs.

Website: https://iimamritsar.ac.in/

Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, USA, is an award-winning hub for entrepreneurship that is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive community to educate, empower, and equip students with the business skills needed to be an entrepreneur and the resources necessary to make their business ideas a reality. The Dingman Center has the resources and know-how to help students take their idea and launch it into a business.

Website: https://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/centers-initiatives/dingman-center

Conference Venue: Amritsar, India

• Submission Opens on Easy Chair: 15^th September 2025
• Submission Closes on Easy Chair: 31^st October 2025
• Early Bird Registration Starts: 1^st December 2025
• Early Bird Registration Ends: 20^th December 2025
• Registration Ends: 27^th December 2025
• Conference Dates: 16^th January 2026 to 18^th January 2026