EN 
FR 
ES 
DE 
Guwahati, June 15, 2026: The Global Association of MSMEs (GAMSME), in partnership with Vantage Circle, convened 'The Founders' Coffee Circle' in Guwahati on June 15, 2026. It is a curated gathering of leading entrepreneurs, innovators, and ecosystem enablers from across Assam to engage in open dialogue on the opportunities and challenges shaping Northeast India's entrepreneurial landscape.
The gathering brought together an accomplished group of entrepreneur leaders, from sectors like tourism, eco-friendly solutions, educational institutes, traders, packaging solutions, FMCG startups, IT, and many more. By creating a trusted space for candid discussions and actionable collaboration, The Founders' Coffee Circle seeks to evolve into a recurring platform that amplifies entrepreneurial voices, informs policy interventions, and contributes to building a resilient and future-ready economic ecosystem for Northeast India.
While MSMEs contribute nearly 30 per cent to India's GDP and account for approximately 45 per cent of the country's exports, enterprises in Northeast India continue to face structural challenges, including limited access to finance, fragmented market linkages, regulatory complexities, and workforce-related constraints. The timely discussion was conceptualised as a focused intervention to address these issues through collective problem-solving and collaborative leadership.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Abhijit Sharma, Founder of the Global Association of MSMEs, highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among entrepreneurs and institutions to unlock the full potential of the region's business ecosystem.
Mr. Anjan Pathak, CTO and Co-founder of Vantage Circle quoted, "We built a global company out of Guwahati without leaving the Northeast, and that proved the region has both the talent and the ambition to compete globally. What's often missing is the connection between founders, institutions, and markets. The Founders' Coffee Circle is that connection, and we're proud to partner with GAMSME to turn these conversations into a real roadmap for the region's MSMEs."
The discussions and recommendations generated during the exercise will be compiled into a Summary Report, which GAMSME will utilise for evidence-based policy advocacy with government agencies and relevant stakeholders. The report is expected to serve as a practical roadmap for addressing growth barriers and strengthening the MSME ecosystem in the Northeast.