Small Scale Industries in developing phase with relief measures & support

New Delhi: The Government has announced various relief measures for several sectors under the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and has taken a number of initiatives to support the MSME Sector in the country, especially in the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Some of them are:

• Rs 20,000 crore Subordinate Debt for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises(MSMEs).
• Rs. 3 lakh crores Collateral free Automatic Loans for business, including MSMEs.
• Rs. 50,000 crore equity infusion through MSME Fund of Funds.
• Newly revised criteria for the classification of MSMEs. Retail and wholesale trades are also included under MSMEs.
• New Registration of MSMEs through 'Udyam Registration' for Ease of Doing Business.
• No global tenders for procurement up to Rs. 200 crores.

The various schemes and programmes implemented by the Ministry of MSME for growth and development of the MSME Sector in the country, which includes Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP), Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), A Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Rural Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE), Interest Subvention Scheme for Incremental Credit to MSMEs, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises, Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Upgradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS).

Studies have been conducted by National Small Industries Corporation and Khadi and Village Industries Commission to assess the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on MSMEs, including units set up under PMEGP.

Further, a Help-Desk & Facilitation Centre has been set up in the Directorate General of Trade Remedies, which deals with the trade remedial measures, including anti-dumping measures. This Help Desk & Facilitation Centre is an institutional arrangement to facilitate the optimal utilization of available trade remedial measures by different stakeholders.

Its functions inter-alia include:-

• Disseminate information to Domestic Industry (DI) regarding various Trade Remedies.
• Hand-hold DI, especially MSMEs, in filing trade remedial petitions.
• Guide MSMEs to remove 'data gaps' while filing applications.
• Guide the Indian exporters facing Trade Remedial Investigations in other countries.
• Provide information regarding available Non-Tariff Measures to Domestic Industry and advise them to avail the same with the support of concerned Administrative Ministry/ Department.
• Provide information regarding estimated timelines for completion of various procedures and for disposal of cases.

This information was given by Union Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, Shri Narayan Rane in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 29 July 2021.