As a successful entrepreneur, influencer, mentor, SME & business rights activist, having business management and commerce background, Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has established his own business group “Macro Group of Companies” in 1991, situated in Mumbai, India and having manufacturing and export of Packaging Machinery, Equipments and material, industrial products, food processing products, industrial Equipments and supporting various Industries & SMEs for the upgradation of their packaging units & adoption of the advanced packaging technology, patented and advanced industrial technologies for quality productivity.

With a passionate vision, mission, dynamic & indomitable entrepreneurial leadership qualities, Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has taken initiative and founded “SME Chamber of India” in 1993 to support SME Sector, manufacturing industries, exporters, allied industrial & business sectors and start-ups to explore emerging business opportunities in the domestic and international markets, channelising finance and investment, private equity & external commercial borrowings for further business growth, international collaborations, export promotion, improvement of excellence in the manufacturing & quality productivity for the global competitiveness, contract manufacturing, joint ventures, technology transfers, support for supply and procurement, franchise, distribution, marketing, improve creditworthiness and credibility to attract strategic partners & investors, encouraging them to enter into capital market, setting up new manufacturing units as well as he has been on the forefront to take up various issues and grievances of SMEs & manufacturing industries with the appropriate authorities and policy frame work change and its implementation.

Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has been interacting with the Ministers, Government officials, heads of regulatory authorities & financial institutions to secure the interests of SME & manufacturing sectors by providing level playing fields for “Ease of Doing Business”, promote and encourage enterprises to avail the benefits of the various Government schemes, policies and incentives, promoting & branding of made-in-India products manufactured by Indian SMEs.

Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe has strongly advocated to set up “SME Stock Exchange”, TReDS – Electronic platform for Trade Receivables, National Skill Development Corporation, Change of Definitions of small-scale industries to MSME sector, set up of exclusive SME Departments in the various State Governments, SME Desk/Division in the Indian Embassies in the various countries, Start-up India platform and collateral free financial facilities for SME sector.

Mr. Salunkhe has initiated various organisations & brands to provide platforms to the entrepreneurs to connect, communicate & commercialise their business ideas, business & export growth. Mr. Salunkhe has been travelling extensively for the business growth & establishing co- operation with the various organisations from USA, Canada, UK, Israel, various European Countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Singapore, Bahrain, UAE, South Africa, Oman, Mauritius, Qatar, Taiwan, Sri Lanka and all GCC Countries.

Mr. Salunkhe has also taken initiative to set up “Packaging Industry Association of India” (PIAI) to support enterprises from the packaging industries to explore emerging business opportunities in India and abroad. PIAI provides a platform to entrepreneurs, Associations, regulatory authorities, Government agencies, corporates, multinational companies, exhibition organisers, service providers, exporters, importers, manufacturers, financial institutions, research institutions and training institutes to exchange various advanced and potential information, technology, schemes, policies, developments in the emerging markets, patented technology, advanced and processing machineries and equipment, export promotion, import facilitation, setting up manufacturing units, investment promotion, business events, research and market surveys, services for business growth, resolution of various issues and grievances as well as organise business activities and events to create awareness and exchange business ideas for further commercialisation.

Mr. Salunkhe has also taken initiatives and encouraging entrepreneurs to put efforts for economic and industrial growth in India, enhance manufacturing activities to make India as a factory hub as well as contribute for making India as a Viksit Bharat to accomplish the dream project of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to achieve third largest economy.

Organisations & Brands initiated by Mr. Salunkhe

• SME Chamber of India (Small and Medium Business Development Chamber of India)
• Federation of Indian SME Associations (FISA)
• India International Trade Centre (Investment and Trade Promotion Organisation – recognized and supported by the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra)
• Maharashtra Industry Development Association (MIDA)
• SME Investment Promotion Council
• Gujarat Industry Development Association (GIDA)
• World SME Trade Centre
• SME Industrial Parks of India
• SME Export Promotion Council
• SME Business Management Institute
• SME Credit Check Ltd.
• Packaging Industry Association of India (PIAI)
• SME Technology Development Council
• SME Insurance Promotion Council
• SME Shark Tank
• SME E-News & India SME TV
• Start-Ups Council of India
• SME Business Forum
• Entrepreneurship Development division
• Women Entrepreneurs Development Council (WEDC)
• “SMEtalks” & “SMECoach” Platforms
• SME Connect – Magazine
• International Business Forums of India (Officially endorsed and supported by the concerned Embassies in India)
  • India – Japan SME Business Council
  • India – US SME Business Council
  • India – Canada SME Business Council
  • Europe – India SME Business Council
  • India – GCC SME Business Council
  • India – UK SME Business Council
  • India – China Business Council
  • India – Hungary Business Council
  • India – Africa SME Business Council
  • India – Germany SME Business Council
  • India – South Korea SME Business Council
  • India – Brazil SME Business Council
  • India – Poland SME Business Council
  • India – Italy SME Business Council
  • India – Romania Business Council
  • India – Bulgaria Business Council

Contributions & Efforts of Mr. Chandrakant Salunkhe

• Salunkhe organised SME & Entrepreneurship Awards function in the presence of the then Hon’ble Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 1^st May, 2002 at New Delhi and recommended to change the definitions of Small-Scale Industrial sector and to create new MSME Act.
• Salunkhe was invited by Mr. Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister on 27th December 2019, to give a presentation on the various issues and grievances of SME sector and provide his suggestions & recommendations as well as the initiatives and strategies to be adopted by the Government Departments for the empowerment of SME sector for better performance & global competitiveness.
• Member of RBI Governor’s Pre-Monetary Policy Review Committee for the last 15
• He has inaugurated the “Industrial & Commercial Bank of China” – ICBC Bank, India Branch on 15th September 2011 at ICBC is the world’s largest Chinese Bank, with a brand value of more than US$ 55 billion. ICBC Bank ranks 1^st amongst the most valuable financial brands in the world.
• He had organised the first ever & a mega event on “Global Investors Meet” – Advantage Maharashtra, jointly with the Government of Maharashtra in 1996 at Attended by the then Prime minister, Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda and the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Late Mr. Manohar Joshi and 500 plus foreign delegates, who attended 3 days event.
• Member of RBI Empowered Committee for SMEs and SLIC for the various States for the last 15 years.
• Member of the working group to study “MSME Development Act, 2006” for advocating to change the definitions of MSME sector constituted on 8th January 2020 by the Ministry and previously 2002, 2005 & 2006.
• Key note Speaker at “European SME Congress” organized by European commission in October 2016 at Katowice, Poland.
• Key note Speaker at “SME Assembly” organized by the European commission in November 2013 at Vilnius, Lithuania.
• Speaker at “World Trade Symposium” annual conference organized by the Financial Times in June 2016 at London.
• Speaker at G-20 Conference on SME sector at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
• Active Member of the Industry and Task Force, Maharashtra, under the Chairmanship of the then Chief Minister (2002 – 2007).
• Member of the National Advisory Board of MSME, Government of India (2011-2013).
• Advocated to set up “SME Stock Exchange” during the tenure of C B Bhave, as the Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from 2008 to 2010.
• Board of Director of Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels (2002 – 2004).
• Board of Director of Asia Mergers and Acquisitions
• Advocated to initiate National Skill Development Corporation through Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the then Deputy Chairman, Planning commission of India in 2008.
• Organised SME & Entrepreneurship Awards function in the presence of the then Hon’ble Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani on 1st May, 2003 at New Delhi.
• Salunkhe was appointed as the Chairman of Law & Order of “Federation of Association of Maharashtra”, and he was on the forefront with the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai to weed out goons & anti-social elements, which were affecting the businesses and industries in Mumbai region and they have deteriorated law and order situations in Mumbai from April to November, 1998.
• Salunkhe has taken lead to provide collateral free loans to micro and small enterprises in 1997 and SIDBI. Thereafter, Mr. Salunkhe has also pursued for the enhancement of collateral free loans from Rs.25 lakhs to Rs.50 lakhs and from Rs.50 lakhs to Rs.1 crore and subsequently, from Rs.1 crore to Rs.2 crores.
• Salunkhe has also suggested and advocated to the Prime Minister to enhance collateral free loans up to Rs. 5 crores for SME sector.
• He has been active Member of the various Government Committees, Study Groups and expert groups to present new concepts and new ideas and given inputs on Industry, Finance and SME Sector for the last 20 years.
• He has been regularly participating in the national and international conferences as a speaker and sharing his views on the current affairs through various medias, TV channels, Business magazines, newspapers and webinars, conferences, round table, debates and various other events & business meetings.