Digital Saksham by Mastercard and CII transforms over 300,000 small businesses across India
October 7, 2025 | Mumbai, India
Digital Saksham, a Mastercard Strive program implemented by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), has reached 304,623 enterprises nationwide, imparting structured training to 89,159 entrepreneurs and enabling 51,455 businesses to adopt digital technologies. Supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth (CFIG), Mastercard Strive is a global program focused on enabling small businesses to thrive in the digital economy.
By achieving this milestone, Digital Saksham has proved how coordinated action between industry and government organizations can accelerate digital adoption and strengthen the Indian economy, while delivering significant impact for the country’s micro and small enterprises (MSEs).
Designed to help small businesses overcome barriers to technology adoption, the program has equipped entrepreneurs with the skills and tools needed to improve efficiency, expand market access and build long-term resilience. While CII has mobilized industry outreach, CFIG, through Mastercard Strive, has anchored the initiative as part of its commitment to inclusive economic growth.
Underlining the significance of the program, Sunil Chordia, Chairman, CII National MSME Council, said, Digital Saksham has been a transformative initiative in empowering India’s MSME sector by leveraging the CII’s nationwide network and Mastercard’s global expertise. From Tirupur’s textile hubs to tribal regions in Jharkhand, it has equipped micro and small enterprises with vital digital tools, turning traditional businesses into tech-enabled ventures and strengthening entire value chains. Looking ahead, the initiative aims to integrate advanced technologies like AI and emerging DigiTech to help MSMEs build future-ready capabilities, access new markets, and drive grassroots innovation in the digital economy.”
Highlighting the potential of the program, Gautam Aggarwal, Division President, South Asia, Mastercard, said, “Collaboration is central to Mastercard’s mission of powering economies and empowering people around the world. Our association with CII and this milestone achieved through Digital Saksham reaffirm our belief in strategic, scalable interventions that drive real impact. India’s small entrepreneurs and enterprises are the architects of its socioeconomic progress. Supporting them with the right training and digital tools is not just good business—it’s a step toward realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat, where growth opportunities are accessible to all.”
Emphasizing the impact of the initiative, Subhashini Chandran, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, said, “The impact of Digital Saksham has been both important and timely. Small businesses are at the heart of India’s economy, yet many face barriers to digital adoption that limit their growth and resilience. By equipping entrepreneurs with the right skills and tools, the program has not only empowered individual enterprises but also strengthened the MSME sector as a whole. We are proud to have worked alongside CII to deliver this impact at scale. This success reinforces our commitment to advancing digital and financial inclusion and to enabling small businesses to drive sustainable growth for their communities and for India’s economy.”
Digital Saksham underscored the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder collaboration in advancing impact at scale. The program established a strong foundation for the sustained digital transformation of India’s MSME sector.
Mastercard Strive in India is working towards its goal of enabling 500,000 small businesses to participate in the digital economy by 2026. Globally, Mastercard Strive has supported over 19 million small businesses worldwide since 2020 by facilitating access to capital, digital tools and knowledge networks.
About CII
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering Industry, Government, and civil society through working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry. For 125 years, CII has been working on shaping India’s development journey and, this year, more than ever before, it will continue to proactively transform Indian industry’s engagement in national development. With 68 offices, including 10 Centres of Excellence in India, and 8 overseas offices, the premier business association has more than 9100 members, from the private as well as public sectors, and an indirect membership from around 288 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.
About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth.
For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedIn, Instagram and subscribe to its newsletter. www.mastercardcenter.org
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.
