On a mission to aid Small and Medium Enter-prises (SMEs), Deskera will be partnering with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. This mission is to provide SMEs of Southeast Asia and India with access to world class commercial and technical research opportunities. In fact, 100,000+ SMEs that are associated with Deskera will be benefitted from IIT Kanpur's modern and futuristic facilities. These SMEs can undertake high-level studies on critical industries such as manufacturing, logistics, aviation and supply chain at the premises of IIT Kanpur and thereby, recast their business decisions effectively.

In the current market, there are 365-445 million formal and informal MSMEs, reveals a recent World Bank study. Out of this, the formal MSMEs are responsible for up to 60 percent of total employment and 40 percent of GDP in emerging economies. Shashank Dixit (IIT Kanpur Alumni), CEO, Deskera, comments, "SMEs in the emerging countries are going through a transformative phase. They need access to world-class research and analysis." He adds, "Since the

beginning of Deskera's entrepreneurial journey, the company has been committed to empowering SMEs to become future-ready by the use of technology and supporting research. Our partnership with IIT Kanpur will help bridge that gap by providing the best facilities and minds along with vital data points for critical decision-making".

Established in 1959, IIT Kanpur is one of India's premier higher education institutions with a strong track record in conducting original research as per the highest standards. It also accentuates on providing meaningful education and leadership in technological innovation to aspirant and potential students. Moreover, this globally acclaimed institute is well equipped with cutting-edge capabilities and thus, offers an additional layer of research to assist enterprises in improved decision-making.

Professor Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur, claims, "IIT Kanpur as a host to one of the largest innovation ecosystems in an academic setting and cutting edge, state-of-the-art research in all disciplines of science, engineering and management is poised to provide both technology and product intervention support to SMEs across India and Asia region making them globally competitive. As a knowledge partner, we will be able to fill in the gap in Deskera's SME engagement in providing state-of-the-art technology and in-novation support in empowering SMEs inherent strength, thereby improving the quality of life and economic prosperity in the region".

Professor S. Ganesh, Dean, Research & Development, IIT Kanpur, adds, "With excellent track-record in academic research, IIT Kanpur over the last one decade partnered with several industries to develop technological solutions to challenging problems. With a robust ecosystem for multidiscipli-nary research, IIT Kanpur is poised to make significant contributions in emerging fields, and the IIT Kanpur-Deskera partnership would leverage the R&D effort of MSMEs and help them to grow faster in this competitive world".