MSMEs

The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed a bill that seeks to tackle the issue of delayed payments to MSMEs by prescribing timelines to ensure faster adjudication of disputes, provide recovery of the settlement agreement, and address their liquidity issues, even as Opposition members continued to disrupt the House. The Upper House was adjourned after the passage of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Members of the Opposition kept raising slogans during the bill's passage, demanding the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah to answer questions on police action against students protesting NEET exam paper leak. Replying to the discussion on the bill, Union Minister for MSME Jitan Ram Manjhi outlined the advantages of the proposed legislation for the sector and various sections of society, expressing dismay at the loud protests by Opposition members. "We expected our opposition allies to support, cooperate, and pass this bill, but today they are opposing .

The policy offers capital subsidies, export assistance and technology incentives as Haryana seeks to double exports over the next five years

Women-led MSMEs are surging in Odisha, with registrations rising eightfold in six years as policy support helps first-generation entrepreneurs create jobs

The government on Tuesday introduced a Bill in the Rajya Sabha that seeks to tackle the issue of delayed payments to micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by prescribing timelines to ensure faster adjudication of disputes, provide recovery of the settlement agreement, and address their liquidity issues. Union Minister for MSMEs Jitan Ram Manjhi introduced the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill seeks to amend The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006. "This legislation was framed in 2006, therefore there is a need for reforming it and making additions," the minister said. Notably, the proposed legislation seeks to empower courts to order payment of at least 50 per cent of the awarded amount to MSME suppliers, if the application to set aside an order is pending for more than six months. It also seeks to provide recovery of the mediated settlement agreement or the arbitral award as arrear of land

The national transporter plans procedural reforms, mechanised execution and faster project clearances to raise its freight modal share from 24 per cent to 40 per cent

A parliamentary panel has urged the CCI to periodically review its regulations, improve transparency in penalty calculations and strengthen safeguards for MSMEs and startups

The report cautions that easing domestic sales by SEZ units could undermine the export-focused framework, weaken MSMEs and distort competition unless accompanied by strict safeguards

UNDP India chief Angela Lusigi says reducing women's unpaid care burden through affordable childcare is key to boosting workforce participation and improving access to skilling

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

The Centre plans to integrate GeM with TReDS, enabling MSMEs to move seamlessly from government procurement to invoice financing and faster payments

The Ministry of MSME said the change is intended to address the delayed payments faced by small businesses

An ICRIER policy brief says India's spices market could expand to nearly $13 billion by 2034 if regulatory gaps, testing inconsistencies and supply chain issues are addressed

The finance ministry said over 140,000 guarantees worth more than Rs 1.55 trillion have been issued under ECLGS 5.0, with MSMEs accounting for the overwhelming majority of beneficiaries

The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 has crossed 4.11 lakh guarantees to businesses affected by the West Asia geopolitical situation, with the guaranteed amount reaching over Rs 1.55 lakh crore, the finance ministry said on Tuesday. The scheme has benefited India's small businesses with 98 per cent of the total number of guarantees and 82 per cent of the total guaranteed amount going to MSMEs. "Since launch, 4,11,497 guarantees have been issued under ECLGS 5.0, with the guaranteed amount reaching Rs 1,55,229 crore - a sign of the scheme's rapid absorption across the lending ecosystem," the ministry said in a statement. The ECLGS 5.0 was approved by the Union Cabinet on May 5, 2026. The scheme aims to infuse additional credit of Rs 2.55 lakh crore to existing borrowers to tide over the liquidity challenges arising due to the West Asia crisis. As the scheme evolves and outreach expands, it is expected to further strengthen liquidity support for businesses, including

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal expects merchandise exports to grow 16-17 per cent and services exports 10-11 per cent, taking India's total exports close to the $1 trillion target

Financial Stability Report says banks face funding pressure as deposits shift to costlier sources, while larger housing loans gain share and household debt continues to rise

Asset manager launches Axis Account Plus, a digital treasury management solution that enables MSMEs to invest surplus working capital seamlessly in liquid and mutual fund schemes

The proposed mechanism, to be explored with the Department of Financial Services and industry, aims to ease working capital pressures arising from long export payment cycles

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

Uttar Pradesh is drafting a new startup policy with incentives for deep-tech ventures, women-led firms and innovation-driven entrepreneurship