Small businesses and MSMEs form the backbone of India’s economy and may hold the key to solving the country’s unemployment crisis. The MSME sector in India employs over 100 million people, and accounts for 45 percent of manufacturing output and more than 40 percent of the country’s exports.
To sustain operations and eventually expand, small businesses require sufficient funding in the form of large amounts of capital. However, the sector is facing a working capital crunch and lack of access to affordable capital.
SMBStory has drawn up a list of four important government schemes that entrepreneurs can avail to fund their small businesses and MSMEs.
Credit-Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme
The scheme aims to boost the competitiveness of MSMEs by integrating ongoing technology upgradation efforts with the Credit Linked Capital Subsidy (CLCS), hand-holding zero defect zero effect manufacturing (ZED), increasing productivity through waste reduction, design intervention, cloud computing, facilitation of intellectual property, and nurturing new ideas.
The scheme provides an upfront capital subsidy of 15 percent to MSEs, including tiny, khadi, village, and coir industrial units, on institutional finance of up to Rs 1 crore availed by them, for induction of well-established and improved technology in the approved 51 sub-sectors/products.
Special provisions have been made in this scheme to promote entrepreneurship for SC/STs and women-led SMEs, and focusing on hill states such as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, and island territories such as Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, and aspirational districts.
To claim subsidy under the scheme, eligible MSEs are required to apply online through Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs), from where they avail term loans.
The completed application is uploaded by the PLI to the attached nodal agency which, in turn, recommends the application online to Office of DC (MSME) for release of subsidy.
After processing of application and subject to availability of funds, due approval is accorded from the competent authority with concurrence of the internal finance wing. After this, funds are released to nodal agencies, which transfer the funds to PLIs where the account of the MSE is operated.
Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE)
Established by the MSME Ministry and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the scheme assures the lending institution that if a borrowing MSE unit fails to discharge its liabilities to the lender, the trust will make good the loss incurred by the lender up to a certain percent of the credit facility.
Under the scheme, collateral-free credit (fund and non-fund-based) extended by eligible financial institutions to new and existing micro and small enterprises, up to a limit of Rs 200 lakh (Rs 2 crore), is eligible to be covered by the fund trust.
Guarantee coverage is available under the scheme to the extent of 85 percent for micro enterprises for credit up to Rs 5 lakh. The guarantee cover is 50 percent of the sanctioned amount for credit ranging from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 100 lakh per MSE borrower for retail trade activity.
The extent of guarantee cover is 80 percent for MSEs operated and/or owned by women. The guarantee is also applicable on all credit/loans in the North East Region (NER) for credit facilities up to Rs 50 lakh.
Candidates meeting the eligibility criteria may approach eligible banks, financial institutions, or select regional rural banks to apply for loans under CGTSME.
Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)
Through setting up small businesses, the scheme aims to generate a steady stream of employment opportunities in various areas of the country. Another objective is facilitating financial institutions to lend more to the micro sector.
Any individual, above 18 years of age, can avail the scheme. The person should be at least an eighth standard pass for projects costing above Rs 10 lakh in the manufacturing sector and above Rs 5 lakh in the business/service sector.
The maximum cost of the project/unit admissible in the manufacturing sector is Rs 25 lakh and in the business/service sector, it is Rs 10 lakh. The rate of subsidy (in percentage of project cost) in the general category is 15 percent in urban areas and 25 percent in rural areas.
In special categories such as SC/ST/OBC/minorities/women, ex-servicemen, physically handicapped, NER, hill, and border areas, the rate is 25 percent in urban areas and 35 percent in rural areas. The balance amount of the total project cost is provided by banks in the form of term loan and working capital.
The State/Divisional Directors of KVIC, in consultation with KVIB and Director of Industries of respective states (for DICs) give advertisements locally through print and electronic media inviting applications along with project proposals from prospective beneficiaries desirous of establishing the enterprise/starting of service units under PMEGP.
