Strengthening SME IPO awareness in one of India’s leading entrepreneurial and MSME hubs
SURAT, GUJARAT | 09th OCTOBER 2026 | BSE, Asia’s oldest stock exchange, in partnership with Meesho, India’s largest e-commerce platform by Annual Transacting Users and Placed Orders, today expanded Project Shikhar to Surat. The one-day awareness programme is aimed at helping Meesho sellers understand the opportunities available through the BSE SME platform and explore pathways to access growth capital through public markets.
The Surat programme builds on the strong response received at the inaugural event in Delhi and marks the next phase of the initiative’s effort to take SME IPO awareness to entrepreneurial communities across India.
Gujarat has been at the forefront of bringing MSMEs to capital markets and has ranked among the top two states for the number of listings on the BSE SME platform over the last three financial years. Between April 2024 and September 2026, as many as 43 companies from the state have listed on the BSE SME platform, collectively raising approximately Rs 1,240 crore.
The session in Surat provided Meesho sellers with a comprehensive understanding of the SME listing ecosystem, including listing eligibility, financial preparedness, governance standards, compliance requirements, disclosures and the role played by intermediaries during the listing journey. Participants also engaged with merchant bankers, including GYR Capital Advisors, and had the opportunity to interact directly with BSE representatives.
Launched in June 2026, Project Shikhar is a first-of-its-kind program launched by BSE and Meesho to enable eligible micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to explore capital markets for growth capital.
The programme highlighted how listing on the BSE SME platform can help growing businesses access growth capital, enhance their market visibility and credibility, strengthen governance and institutional practices, and create a foundation for long-term, sustainable growth.
Radha Kirthivasan, Head – Issuer Relations and Corporate Sales, BSE, said, “Gujarat has emerged as one of the most important centres of MSME entrepreneurship in the country and is the second-largest state by the number of companies listed on the BSE SME platform. The strong participation of Gujarat-based enterprises in public markets reflects the state’s entrepreneurial spirit and increasing readiness to embrace structured growth. India’s MSMEs are a vital engine of innovation, entrepreneurship and employment. At BSE, we believe that access to public capital markets can play a transformative role in helping promising businesses scale sustainably and create long-term value. Through Project Shikhar, in partnership with Meesho, we are taking capital market awareness to a large and dynamic community of digital entrepreneurs, and we are pleased to bring this initiative to Surat following its successful launch in Delhi. Through this initiative, we aim not only to build awareness about SME IPOs, but also to help businesses understand the importance of financial discipline, governance, transparency and compliance that underpin successful listed companies.”
Lopamudra Rao, Head of Corporate Affairs, Meesho, said: “Digital commerce has enabled lakhs of Indian businesses to reach customers across India and build at scale. As these businesses mature, their aspirations and requirements also evolve. Through Project Shikhar, we are connecting entrepreneurs in our seller ecosystem with BSE and the wider capital-markets ecosystem, giving them access to the right information and expertise to understand what being listing-ready entails. The objective is to help sellers make informed decisions about the opportunities available to them as they build stronger and more institutionally ready businesses.”
The program also featured insights from SMEs based in Gujarat that have been successfully listed on the BSE SME platform, offering participants a first-hand perspective on the listing journey. Sharing their experience, Mr Malhar Desai, Whole-Time Director, Desco Infratech Ltd, said: “Listing should not be viewed as an event that begins on the day a company enters the public market. It’s a journey that begins much earlier. Preparing for the public market pushes entrepreneurs to build stronger financial discipline, sharper governance and a culture of transparency. With the right guidance at the right stage, founders can maker more informed decisions not simply on whether to list, but on when their business is truly ready to take that leap.”
Through Project Shikhar, BSE and Meesho aim to create greater awareness among MSMEs about the opportunities and responsibilities associated with becoming a publicly listed company, while promoting long-term governance and financial discipline.
== ENDS ==
