PFRDA Promotes National Pension System Awareness Among MSMEs at 2nd Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference 2026

The Regional MSME Conclave, held on 12 January 2026, brought retirement planning and social security to the forefront of MSME policy discussions.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), in collaboration with its implementation partner PwC, conducted extensive awareness-building sessions on the National Pension System (NPS) for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during the 2nd Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference (VGRC) held in Rajkot on 11–12 January 2026.

The conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and formed part of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) series, a flagship initiative launched in 2003 that has evolved into a globally recognised platform for business collaboration, knowledge exchange, and sustainable economic development.

VGRC and the Vision of Viksit Bharat @2047

The Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conferences are designed to:

• Showcase regional economic potential

• Promote grassroots-level development

• Strengthen industry–government collaboration

These objectives align closely with the national and state visions of Viksit Bharat @2047 and Viksit Gujarat @2047, with MSMEs positioned as a critical driver of inclusive and sustainable growth.

Regional MSME Conclave: Focus on Growth and Social Security

The Regional MSME Conclave, held on 12 January 2026, brought retirement planning and social security to the forefront of MSME policy discussions. The conclave was graced by:

• Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry

• Shri Jitubhai Savjibhai Vaghani, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Cooperation, Animal Husbandry, Cow Breeding, Fisheries and Protocol, Government of Gujarat

• Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister of Gujarat

Their presence underscored the Government of India’s strong commitment to strengthening the MSME ecosystem.

PFRDA Highlights Urgency of Retirement Planning in MSMEs

Addressing MSME stakeholders, Ms. Mamta Rohit, Executive Director, PFRDA, emphasized the critical need for structured retirement planning in a sector that forms the backbone of India’s workforce.

Key points highlighted included:

• Rapid ageing of India’s population, with only 29% of the elderly currently receiving any pension, raising concerns about future financial security.

• The MSME sector employs over 32 crore people nationwide, making it the second-largest employer after agriculture.

• Gujarat alone hosts around 42 lakh registered MSMEs, spread across more than 230 GIDC industrial estates and approximately 186 MSME clusters.

• NPS as a retirement solution offers flexibility, low cost, tax efficiency, portability across jobs and geographies, and requires no minimum employee count for employers.

• As of January 2026, NPS and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) together manage assets worth ₹16.53 lakh crore, with over 9.28 crore subscribers nationwide.

She also highlighted recent reforms that have strengthened the NPS framework:

• Higher equity exposure limits

• Enhanced withdrawal flexibility, including removal of lock-in periods

• Extension of the maximum account holding age to 85 years

• Introduction of NPS Vatsalya, enabling early pension planning

Ms. Rohit emphasized that NPS is not merely a pension product but a long-term assurance of dignity, stability, and security for India’s workforce.

Eminent Industry and Global Voices at the Conclave

The event featured a diverse panel of distinguished speakers from industry, entrepreneurship, and international trade, including:

• Mr. Ramesh Iyer, CEO, TCS Korea and Chairman, Indian Chamber of Commerce Korea

• Mr. Chandubhai Virani, Chairman, Balaji Wafers Group

• Ms. Zlata Antusheva, Lead – Government Relations (Finance Sector), Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in India

• Mr. Anil Gupta, Honorary Secretary, GIAN, SRISTI & Honeybee Network

• Padma Shri awardee Mr. Mansukhbhai Raghavjibhai Prajapati, Founder, Mitticool

• Ms. Parvathi Moorthy, Associate Vice President, National Stock Exchange

Their insights highlighted the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and long-term financial security.

Outreach at the Udyami Mela Exhibition Dome

PFRDA further strengthened its outreach through an interactive stall at the Udyami Mela, located in Hall No. 1 of the exhibition area. The stall served as a key touchpoint for MSME owners and employees to understand:

• NPS enrollment procedures

• Benefits of long-term retirement savings

• Features of the NPS Corporate Sector Model, which enables employers to provide structured social security benefits

Officials from PFRDA, PwC, and Points of Presence (PoPs) engaged directly with participants, explaining how flexible employer and employee contributions under NPS can help secure financial well-being in old age.

Strengthening Social Security for MSMEs

PFRDA’s participation at the 2nd VGRC reinforced the importance of embedding retirement security within MSME growth strategies. By promoting NPS as a scalable, flexible, and future-ready pension solution, the authority aims to ensure that economic growth is accompanied by long-term social protection.

The initiative represents a significant step toward building a financially secure workforce, aligned with India’s broader goals of inclusive development and sustainable prosperity under Viksit Bharat @2047.