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MSME Sector
The practice of bundling soluble and specialty fertilisers with heavily subsidised conventional fertilisers such as urea is hurting innovation and pushing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the sector towards collapse, according to Rajib Chakraborty, President of the Speciality Fertiliser Association of India (SFAI). In an interview to PTI, Chakraborty said that farmers, as well as the industry, are often placed in a difficult position by this practice, known in trade parlance as "tagging," in which dealers make the sale of subsidised urea conditional on the purchase of speciality products. He said the practice occurs at multiple levels -- company, distribution and dealer -- and has caused significant damage to the industry over the years. As a result, he said, new and improved fertiliser products developed by smaller companies are struggling to reach the market. "The newly invented products or augmented products are actually not reaching the dealer shelf," he said, add
MSME fintech firm Progcap aims to raise up to USD 45 million (approximately Rs 425 crore) from share sales in FY28 to expand its lending business. "We are planning a capital raise through equity dilution next financial year," Progcap co-founder Himanshu Chandra told PTI. It would be through private placement of shares, and the quantum could be in the range of USD 40-45 million, depending on the valuation, he said. "We have enough capital to take care of growth needs for the current financial year. We may look at dilution of equity next financial year," he said, adding that the dilution would be in the single digit. The fintech firm, which obtained an NBFC licence in 2022, has been witnessing very high growth in MSME lending, especially wholesalers and retailers. The fintech is currently present in 500 cities, Tier II, III and IV cities, with over 30,000 borrowers having an average ticket size of Rs 10 lakh. The lending firm focuses on loans to retailers and wholesalers across 10
India represents one of the most dynamic opportunities in global commerce, from where it has sourced goods worth USD 40 billion so far, said US-based retail giant Walmart Inc President and CEO John Furner. Walmart, which had earlier announced to source goods from India worth up to USD 10 billion per year by 2027, is focusing on strengthening entrepreneur and supplier capabilities. "We have already sourced more than USD 40 billion in goods from India and are focused on strengthening entrepreneur and supplier capabilities, raising compliance and quality standards, and helping scale manufacturing so more Indian businesses are ready to export," said Walmart Inc President and CEO John Furner. Under its Vriddhi initiative, which is designed to support MSMEs in modernising, expanding, and reaching their domestic ambitions, the company has supported the growth of over 1.15 lakh entrepreneurs. It is helping them to raise their compliance and quality standards, and to scale manufacturing so
A critical shortage of LPG is pushing micro, small and medium enterprises towards an operational crisis, the Association of Indian Entrepreneurs said, calling for urgent intervention of central and state governments to prevent job losses in the sector. Association of Indian Entrepreneurs National Chairman K E Raghunathan highlighted that for thousands of small industries, commercial kitchens, and food processors, "LPG is not just a fuel, it is a lifeline of daily production." In a statement on Sunday, he said, "When supply becomes uncertain and prices rise sharply, MSMEs simply cannot absorb the shock." "Unlike large corporations, MSMEs operate on extremely thin margins. A sudden spike in energy costs or irregular LPG supply can force many units to cut production, reduce workforce, or temporarily shut down operations. If this situation continues, it could trigger a chain reaction impacting employment, supply chains and local economies," he added. Raghunathan urged the central and .