How Did Almost 14.6 Lakh MSME Accounts Avoid NPA?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Dec 8 (NationPress) A total of 14.6 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) accounts, with approximately 98.3 percent categorically in Micro and Small Enterprises, have been protected from being classified as non-performing assets (NPA) due to the emergency credit line guarantee scheme (ECLGS), as reported to Parliament on Monday.
The Union government has implemented various initiatives to ensure that MSMEs receive necessary financial, technological, and trade assistance, particularly in sectors like leather and textiles, as highlighted by Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for MSMEs, during a written statement in the Rajya Sabha.
These initiatives include programs such as the Prime Minister's employment generation scheme aimed at establishing new micro enterprises in the non-farm sector through a margin money subsidy on bank loans, along with a special credit-linked capital subsidy program that offers a 25 percent subsidy to SC/ST MSEs for acquiring plant and machinery.
Additional schemes introduced by the Union government encompass a credit guarantee scheme for collateral-free loans for micro and small enterprises, covering amounts up to Rs 10 crore, and collateral-free loans of up to Rs 20 lakh for informal micro enterprises. Other notable initiatives include the PM Vishwakarma Yojana and Mudra Loan, as mentioned by Karandlaje.
Furthermore, the Centre has undertaken numerous actions to tackle the challenges faced by the MSME sector in the nation.
Some of these actions include revised criteria for defining MSMEs established in 2020, further modified in April this year, Udyam Registration for MSMEs to facilitate business operations starting from July 2020, and the incorporation of retail and wholesale traders into the MSME classification.
Additionally, non-tax benefits are available for three years in case of an upgrade in MSME status, with the Udyam Assist platform launched in January 2023 to formalize informal micro enterprises for benefits under priority sector lending.
The operationalization of the self-reliant India Fund for equity investment in MSMEs, along with the launch of a Rs 5 lakh crore emergency credit line guarantee scheme (ECLGS) for businesses, including MSMEs (active until March 2023), were also key initiatives highlighted by the minister.