Kolkata, Mar 25 (PTI) Telecom major Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Tuesday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the West Bengal State Export Promotion Society (WBSEPS) to accelerate digital transformation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.

The move comes as the West Bengal government aims to strengthen its MSME ecosystem, which employs over one crore people.

The collaboration will leverage the digital assessment and advisory initiative of the telecom company and it has already evaluated over 1.9 lakh MSMEs nationwide since its launch in 2022, the statement said.

Under the partnership, the telecom major will provide localised digital tools and training modules in Bengali, and host webinars to enhance tech adoption among West Bengal's MSMEs.

"MSMEs contribute 30 per cent to India's GDP. This partnership will empower them with digital capabilities to scale operations and access global markets," Vi Business EVP & Segment Head Rajeev Mehta said.

The West Bengal government emphasised the initiative's focus on rural artisans and women entrepreneurs.

"This aligns with our mission to bridge the digital divide and foster inclusive growth," MSME & Textiles Department Principal Secretary Rajesh Pandey said. PTI BSM BDC

MSME digital transformation enabled through a MoU expanding localized tools and training to boost tech adoption and inclusion. A memorandum of understanding forms a public-private partnership to accelerate MSME digital transformation by deploying a telecom firm's digital assessment and advisory platform statewide. The partnership will provide localized digital tools, Bengali training modules, and webinars to drive tech adoption, target rural artisans and women entrepreneurs, and use platform-based assessments to identify gaps and recommend tailored digital solutions for scaling and market access.