Ajay Thakur, the head of BSE SME & Startup, has moved on from the organisation. He played a pivotal role in setting up the SME Exchange and Startup Platform in India in 2012 and 2018 respectively.

Thakur joined BSE in 1996 as the Head-Arbitration and played an imperative role in drafting the byelaws and regulations related to arbitration in line with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.

Thakur also played a pivotal role in setting up the Arbitration committee which included independent reputed people. Additionally, he was entrusted with the business development in 2002.

He also built the BSE derivatives and the equity markets, which have a share of nearly 27 per cent. The primary volume generator in the BSE Derivatives Market was BSE Sensex Futures. In addition, he also established regional offices around the nation.

Commenting on his exit from BSE SME, Thakur told BW Businessworld that his resignation was not prompted by any specific development or event. He added that he would continue to contribute towards strengthening the SME ecosystem in the country, which he described as the backbone of the Indian economy.

Thakur also received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution towards transforming the MSME Sector from Amit Mohan, Additional Chief Secretary (MSME), Government of Uttar Pradesh last year.

His name is now closely associated with small and medium-sized enterprises. Even though BSE is a century-old brand, Thakur's 2010 assignment to promote the SME platform was by no means an easy one. The promoters of MSMEs were hesitant to list on this platform. 

He directly met 35,000 SMEs from all across the nation in the last twelve years in an attempt to persuade them. He also established an ecosystem of merchant bankers and other intermediates.

With 491 listed firms and another 125 in the queue, BSE is currently India's largest and most successful SME platform. With a market valuation of almost Rs 1,40,000 crore, these 491 companies have raised a total of Rs 6,397 crore.  

Under Thakur's direction, BSE has held 500 webinars and 2,500 in-person seminars around the nation to educate SMEs and startups on the advantages of equity finance and listing on BSE's SME and Startup Platforms.