The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Coimbatore Zone organised the Conference on Marketing for Growth recently in Coimbatore under the theme “From Local Strength to Global Reach.”

V. Parthiban, Founder & Managing Director, Bull Machines Pvt Ltd, during the inaugural address emphasized the importance of every product carrying a strong brand identity and story to compete in global markets.

He said that even the most innovative and technologically advanced engineering products require a compelling narrative to capture customer attention and build trust.

He noted that “marketing is not just about visibility but about creating a desire that drives customers to choose your product.” He urged MSMEs to think of marketing as an equal partner to innovation and engineering excellence, and to invest in building long-term brand equity.

Rajesh Doraiswamy, Chairman, CII Coimbatore Zone & Joint Managing Director, Salzer Electronics Ltd, in his welcome address underlined that Coimbatore, being a hub of innovation, must actively position and brand itself to the global audience.
 
He highlighted that while the city is well known for its strong industrial legacy, it is equally important to showcase the present-day innovations that are shaping the future. He added, “Branding Coimbatore to the world does not just build our companies, it builds the identity of our city as a global innovation capital.

Setting the context for the conference, Mani Narayanan, Convenor – Manufacturing Panel, CII Coimbatore Zone & Managing Director, Messer Cutting Systems India Pvt Ltd, observed that marketing continues to be a major challenge even for large multinational corporations, and hence MSMEs must be equipped with stronger strategies to overcome barriers.

He explained that this conference was designed to specifically address MSME challenges, ranging from resource limitations to lack of structured marketing approaches. He stressed that marketing must always be rooted in intent (a clear purpose) and content (meaningful messaging) in order to succeed. He also encouraged MSMEs to explore digital avenues and government support systems that can give them a competitive edge in export markets.

G.M. Ramachandran, Co-Convenor – Manufacturing Panel, CII Coimbatore Zone & Chief Operating Officer, Propel Industries, during his closing remarks consolidated the discussions and thanked all sponsors, speakers, and participants for their active engagement. He emphasized that the key takeaway from the conference was that marketing is not an optional function but a growth driver for businesses aspiring to expand globally.

He remarked that the event had successfully highlighted the role of authentic storytelling, strategic use of technology, and global market research in helping MSMEs scale up. He reiterated CII’s commitment to support industry members with knowledge-sharing platforms and collaborative initiatives.

The conference featured insightful sessions on export strategies, government and institutional support mechanisms, digital marketing, and brand storytelling. Speakers shared case studies and practical tools that manufacturers can adopt to identify the right export markets, evaluate the true cost of global business, and build customer trust through authentic narratives.

The event witnessed industry participation from diverse sectors of manufacturing and allied industries, providing a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking.