In a significant move to bolster MSMEs, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a comprehensive package in Budget 2024-25 aimed at enhancing the growth and global competitiveness of this crucial sector. The budget provides special attention to MSMEs and labour-intensive manufacturing, with measures spanning financing, regulatory changes, and technology support.
A key highlight is the introduction of a Credit Guarantee Scheme for facilitating term loans to MSMEs for the purchase of machinery and equipment without collateral or third-party guarantee. The scheme will operate on pooling of credit risks of such MSMEs. A separately constituted self-financing guarantee fund will provide, to each applicant, a guarantee cover up to Rs 100 crore, while the loan amount may be larger. The borrower will have to provide an upfront guarantee fee and an annual guarantee fee on the reducing loan balance.
New credit assessment model
Public sector banks will build their in-house capability to assess MSMEs for credit, instead of relying on external assessment. They will also take a lead in developing or getting developed a new credit assessment model, based on the scoring of digital footprints of MSMEs in the economy. This is expected to be a significant improvement over the traditional assessment of credit eligibility based only on asset or turnover criteria. That will also cover MSMEs without a formal accounting system.
Credit support during stress period
The FM announced a new mechanism for facilitating continuation of bank credit to MSMEs during their stress period. While being in the ‘special mention account’ (SMA) stage for reasons beyond their control, MSMEs need credit to continue their business and to avoid getting into the NPA stage. Credit availability will be supported through a guarantee from a government promoted fund.
Mudra Loans
The limit of Mudra loans will be enhanced to Rs 20 lakh from the current Rs 10 lakh for those entrepreneurs who have availed and successfully repaid previous loans under the ‘Tarun’ category.
The other provisions to boost micro, small and medium enterprises are as follows:
- SIDBI will open new branches to expand its reach to serve all major MSME clusters within 3 years, and provide direct credit to them.
- Financial support for setting up of 50 multi-product food irradiation units in the MSME sector will be provided. Setting up of 100 food quality and safety testing labs with NABL accreditation will be facilitated.
- To enable MSMEs and traditional artisans to sell their products in international markets, E-Commerce Export Hubs will be set up in PPP mode. These hubs, under a seamless regulatory and logistic framework, will facilitate trade and export related services under one roof.
