Coimbatore Management Association (CMA), Jansons School of Business, Southern India Engineering Manufacturers Association (SIEMA), Institute of Indian Foundrymen (IIF), Coimbatore Chapter, and the CIO Association, Coimbatore Chapter, jointly organised an expert talk session on 27 November 2025 at Hotel Grand Regent.
The keynote speaker for the session was Anya Geraldine D’Souza, Fractional Chief Marketing Officer and Marketing Strategist from Bengaluru. She delivered a talk on the topic, “The Growth Blueprint for Manufacturing MSMEs – Leveraging Sales & Marketing Systems.”
Krishna Kumar, Vice President of CMA, delivered the welcome address, highlighting the uncertainties caused by the current geopolitical situation and emphasising the need for MSMEs to adopt effective marketing strategies to boost sales in various global markets.
Veluswami, Chairman of IIF, Coimbatore Chapter, honoured the chief guest with a shawl.
During her talk, Anya Geraldine D’Souza explained that branding and marketing are growth necessities for MSMEs, not corporate luxuries.
She stressed that marketing and sales teams must work in coordination, noting that in many cases, 70% of the sale is already determined before a prospective customer makes the first call. For high-value products, digital marketing plays a crucial role in the initial stages, while sales teams often finalize the order through negotiation and addressing customer concerns.
She also shared insights on efficiently leveraging marketing techniques on a limited budget and highlighted current market scenarios across regions including the Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia, India, and the US.
She emphasised that companies need to adapt marketing strategies throughout the sales process, from proposal to final sale.
The session concluded with a Q&A, where local entrepreneurs discussed challenges in e-commerce and the overall business environment.
She further noted the importance of tailoring marketing strategies to different countries due to cultural variations and varying levels of digital maturity.
Puneet Krishnan, Secretary of CMA; Duraiswamy, President of the CIO Association; members of the organising associations; and several marketing professionals attended the programme.
