Indian Economy
RBI Panel's Recommendations on MSME
- 19 Jun 2019
- 4 min read
A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expert committee on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) has recommended doubling the cap on collateral-free loans to Rs 20 lakh from the current Rs 10 lakh.
- This will be extended to borrowers falling under the Mudra scheme, self-help groups, and MSMEs.
- The current limit of Rs 10 lakh on collateral-free loans was prescribed by RBI in June 2010.
- A collateral free loan means that borrowers do not have to offer any asset or pledge collateral to borrow against.
- The committee has also suggested various long-term solutions for the economic and financial sustainability of MSMEs.
- The report has also recommended the mainstreaming the restructuring of stressed loans, considering the central bank had given a one-year window to banks to do so in January 2019.
- The proposal is part of a report prepared by the eight-member RBI committee tasked with reviewing the current framework for the MSME sector.
- The panel was headed by former Securities and Exchange Board of India chairman U K Sinha.
The MSME definition
- The Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are defined under the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 on the basis of capital investment made in plant and machinery, excluding investments in land and building.
- Manufacturing units having investment:
- below Rs 25 lakh are termed as Micro,
- those between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 5 crore as Small
- and from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore as Medium.
- Service units, corresponding investment thresholds are:
- up to Rs 10 lakh are termed as Micro,
- between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 2 crore as Small
- and between Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore as Medium
- However, the government is contemplating to change the definition of MSMEs.
- The proposed change under a new draft is that annual turnover, rather than investment size, should be the criterion for such units.
- Under the draft, there would be no difference between a manufacturing and service unit.
- Micro can be up to Rs 5 crore of turnover, small up to Rs 75 crore, and medium up to Rs 250 crore of turnover should be considered.
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)
- The PMMY is a scheme launched in 2015 for providing loans up to 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.
- These loans are classified as MUDRA loans under PMMY.
- These loans are given by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, MFIs and NBFCs.
- Under the aegis of PMMY, MUDRA has created three products namely 'Shishu', 'Kishore' and 'Tarun' to signify the stage funding needs of the beneficiary/entrepreneur and also provide a reference point for the next phase of graduation/growth.
- Shishu: covering loans up to Rs.50,000
- Kishore: covering loans above Rs.50,000 and up to Rs.5,00,000
- Tarun: covering loans above Rs.5,00,000 and up to Rs.10,00,000
- As of Feb 1, 2019, over 157 million loans amounting to Rs 7.59 trillion have been extended under PMMY since its inception.