Building the Nation 2025 – Lucknow Chapter: MSME

India today stands at a defining moment in its digital journey. With the country surpassing China as the most populous nation, the opportunities for growth, consumption, and innovation are immense. At the heart of this transformation are the MSMEs, the backbone of the Indian economy. With more than 6.5 crore MSMEs operating across the nation, this sector contributes nearly 30% to India’s GDP and provides employment to over 25 crore people, roughly 17% of the population. As the government drives forward its vision of a “One Digital Economy,” MSMEs are increasingly embracing technology to accelerate growth, enhance efficiency, and expand reach.

Lucknow, with its rich cultural heritage and rapidly growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs and innovators, is playing a pivotal role in this digital shift. The city is witnessing rising adoption of AI, cloud computing, and digital commerce, particularly among MSMEs looking to modernize operations and compete globally. Recognising this shift, Dell Technologies and Intel brought their Building the Nation platform to Lucknow, creating a dialogue on how AI and future-ready IT solutions can empower MSMEs.

The event began with a keynote by Praveen Kumar, Director & Founder, Qbic Catalyst Partners Pvt. Ltd representing Dell Technologies, highlighting its legacy of trust, customer-first innovation, and global leadership. Dell is ranked number one in customer support, monitors, and workstations worldwide. The company emphasized its commitment to sustainability, pioneering the use of recycled materials and ocean-bound plastics. Delegates were introduced to Dell’s AI-powered PC portfolio — Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max, equipped with Neural Processing Units (NPUs) capable of trillions of AI operations per second. These enable live captions, automatic transcription, enhanced security, and real-time collaboration directly on the device.

“At Dell, we believe MSMEs are the true drivers of India’s growth story. By bringing AI-powered solutions directly to their hands, we are ensuring that technology is not just for the few, but for every entrepreneur who dares to dream big,” said Kumar.

Kumar also mentioned Dell’s newly launched AI-powered PC portfolio, i.e., Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max, designed with built-in NPUs (Neural Processing Units) to handle AI workloads directly on the device. These next-generation PCs enable faster, more secure, and energy-efficient execution of tasks like transcription, content creation, and data analysis without always relying on the cloud. Positioned as a game-changer for MSMEs, the AI PCs combine enterprise-grade performance with user-friendly design, helping businesses improve productivity, strengthen data privacy, and reduce operational costs while staying future-ready.

Also the highlight was the new Dell Pro Essential series, which is business-ready and affordable, starting at ₹31,999. It is designed for everyday business needs. Despite its affordability, Essentials doesn’t compromise on performance. It offers robust security, Full HD+ displays with a 16:10 aspect ratio, up to 10 hours of battery life, and MIL-STD-810G military-grade durability, ideal for the Gen Z workforce and SMEs alike. Plus, it supports open standards, ensuring compatibility with all peripherals, monitors, headsets, and more.

Next, Intel’s session led by Ruchi Sharma, Business Manager, Intel Corporation shed light on the AI revolution and its impact on MSMEs. Intel’s Core Ultra processors integrate CPU, GPU, and NPU for enterprise-grade AI performance at the device level. Once limited to large corporations and data centres, this power is now accessible to MSMEs, driving productivity, customer engagement, and innovation. With sectors like banking, retail, healthcare, and education already adopting AI, MSMEs in cities like Lucknow can now join the digital revolution.

"AI is no longer confined to data centres or large enterprises. With our Core Ultra processors, we are democratizing AI, giving MSMEs the same power to innovate, compete, and grow in the global economy," stated Sharma.

The conference showcased real-world AI use cases from accelerating vaccine development, powering digital twins in manufacturing, chatbots in financial services, to affordable digital solutions in education. Attendees showed keen interest in Dell’s PC-as-a-Service model, which reduces upfront costs, and in the role of AI PCs in enhancing security, sustainability, and manageability.

The Lucknow edition of Building the Nation concluded with 50+ delegates from MSMEs and allied industries, actively engaging in discussions and digital adoption opportunities. The event reinforced a strong message: AI is no longer futuristic, it is essential. With Dell Technologies’ customer-first approach and Intel’s processing power, MSMEs in Lucknow and across India are being equipped to unlock growth, competitiveness, and resilience in the digital economy.