BS EDIT: Easing credit flow can boost MSME performance

By Business StandardPublished On Nov 13, 2024

Scaling up credit flow to MSMEs

The government has set ambitious targets for MSME credit flow, raising the lending target for banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to Rs 5.75 trillion for FY25

New credit-guarantee scheme for MSMEs

A Rs 100 crore credit-guarantee scheme is set to be approved, offering collateral-free loans to MSMEs

This scheme builds on the success of ECLGS and aims to boost manufacturing and exports without requiring collateral

Growth in MSME lending remains strong

Loans to MSMEs have grown by 20.1 per cent year-on-year as of March 2024. Despite this, 99 per cent of MSMEs are microenterprises lacking scale

Shifting to cash flow-based lending

Enhancements like the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) and deepening of the Account Aggregator (AA) framework are expected to improve financing options for small businesses

Maintaining healthy lending standards

PSBs have seen a decline in Mudra loan NPAs to 3.4 per cent in FY24, down from 4.89 per cent in FY20. Private banks performed even better, with NPAs at just 0.95 per cent

The road ahead

A focused push towards institutional credit flow can help these enterprises compete effectively in the domestic and global markets