Get All Access for $5/mo

#3 Takeaways For MSMEs from Nirmala Sitharaman's #BudgetForNewIndia To ease the payment procedure, the government will create a payment platform for MSMEs to enable filing of bills

By Aastha Singal

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

BJP

Departing from the decade long briefcase culture, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reached parliament with a traditionally remembered bahi khata that held the gems on announcements to assist the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the country. Tabling the roadmap for becoming a $5 trillion economy, the Union Minister emphasized the role of private sector players in the development of a country's economy.

"If before independence, India Inc understood swadeshi, today they understand Make In India," Sitharaman shared, iterating the relevance of traditional as well as emerging players for India's growth. While inclusion of women in decision-making, ease of living, India's soft power and foreign investments made the highlight of Budget 2019-20, Micro, Small and Medium Entreprises (MSMEs) were not left behind either.

With India having more than 50 million small businesses, the 2019 budget seems incredibly promising for further augmenting their growth and development. Amid a series of proposals and promises aimed at strengthening the Indian citizens, a slew of announcements were targeted at MSMEs too.

Fund Allocation

Despite being one of the biggest contributors of the nation's GDP, MSMEs often face credit crunch due to lack of banking support. To ease the loan accessibility, Sitharaman announced, "Under the interest subvention scheme for MSMEs, INR 350 crore allocated for the year 2019 for 2 per cent interest subvention for all GST-registered MSMEs on fresh or on incremental loans."

"By offering credit of up to INR 1 crore within an hour for SMEs, will enable businesses to increase investment in R&D, upskilling and bringing in technological innovations to work," shared Somesh Misra, VP Operations, Deskera. The government announced "59 minute' loan scheme in 2018 promising loans from public sector banks (PSBs) through an online lending marketplace called "psbloanin59minutes'.

Payment Platform for MSMEs

Often we hear the cases of payment frauds with bills getting misplaced and improper recording of data, especially for small businesses. To ease the payment procedure and ensure transparency, "Government will create a payment platform for MSMEs to enable filing of bills and payment on the platform itself," stated the Finance Minister.

Lauding the government for taking strong steps to give a big boost to MSMEs and encouraging a cashless economy, Alok Mittal, CEO & Co-founder, Indifi Technologies said, "The budget has contributed to three most important factors for MSMEs-ease of credit accessibility, greater security for small players through the pension offering and greater transparency as well as convenience in tax processes."

Benefits for Retail Traders

Sitharaman also announced that the pension benefits would be extended to 30 million shopkeepers and retail traders with annual turnover of less than INR 1.5 crore under the Pardhan Mantri Karam Yogi Maan Dhan Yojana. Reiterating the importance for transforming India into a digital economy, the minister also shared plans of taking over 100 clusters global.

Vinamra Pandiya, the Founder & CEO of Qtrove.com felt setting up of social stock exchange for listing of NGO's and social & voluntary organizations would empower a lot of entrepreneurs towards setting up of such ventures. "World is moving towards a dangerous tipping point and nature is taking its revenge, it's time more people join the cause of making this planet livable for the next thousands of years."

Aastha Singal

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Features Writer

A business journalist looking to find happiness in the world of startups, investments, MSMEs and more. Officially started her career as a news reporter for News World India, Aastha had short stints with NDTV and NewsX. A true optimist seeking to make a difference, she is a comic junkie who'd rather watch a typical Bollywood masala than a Hollywood blockbuster. 

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

News and Trends

India's Data Center Capacity to Reach 2,070 MW by End of 2025: CBRE

Cumulative investment commitments in the data center sector in India to cross USD 100 billion by 2027. Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR to lead data center supply addition

News and Trends

Aampe Gains USD 18 Mn from Theory Ventures and Z47 to Enhance Digital Product Personalisation

With the new funding, Aampe plans to double its workforce to meet the growing demand for its agentic infrastructure. The company aims to onboard more customers and streamline the integration of its technology into their workflows.

Business News

I Tried Buying a Car on Amazon. Here Are the Pros and Cons.

Amazon Autos just launched, and users can buy a new car online. Here's how it works and what needs to improve.

News and Trends

Supply-Chain Financing Platform Mintifi Raises USD 180 Mn in Series E, Valuation Soars to USD 850 Mn

The raised funding will enable Mintifi to diversify its product offerings, such as dealer management systems, loans against property, and factoring services, powered by artificial intelligence.

News and Trends

growX Ventures Launches Fund II with a Target Corpus of INR 400 Cr

Fund II aims to target early-stage and growth-stage investments, backing 20–24 startups in deeptech sectors. It plans to deploy INR 10 crore in seed and INR 20–30 crore in Series B rounds.