India needs stronger MSME supply chain, say experts

India has begun expanding nuclear engineering education at institutions including IIT Bombay and IIT Madras, Madhukar Sharma, President of American Society of Mechanical Engineers India Private Limited (ASME), said. “ASME is working with faculty at institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science on curricula,” he added.

ASME India hosted an event in Chennai on Friday (September 4, 2026), bringing the world’s largest mechanical engineering community to India with the aim of developing certified manufacturers, professional engineers, and future engineering talent for the country’s next industrial decade.

Experts who spoke at the event said that India’s strategic autonomy depends on technological sovereignty and a strong domestic micro small and medium scale enterprise (MSME) base that can move up the value chain. Mr. Sharma said that demand in crucial sectors such as nuclear and defence is increasing, and tier-one firms need many more capable supply chain partners.

Air Marshal M. Matheswaran, Indian Air Force veteran and President of the Peninsula Foundation, said India should encourage MSMEs to shift from merely manufacturing from blueprints to owning specifications. “The main gap is not only design but metallurgy, reliability, and the experiential knowledge built over decades. Textbooks are insufficient and iterative experience matters,” he added.