Greater use of Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS), alternative credit assessment models, and fair lending practices are needed to support the revival of stressed but viable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), said Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Swaminathan J. Speaking at the 30th Meeting of the Standing Advisory Committee (SAC) to review the flow of credit to the MSMEs, which was held in Coimbatore on Monday, Swaminathan emphasised the critical role of the MSME sector in India’s economic growth.
He assured the RBI’s commitment to strengthen the credit ecosystem for MSMEs. He mentioned the central bank’s initiatives such as Unified Lending Interface (ULI), Account Aggregator framework, and Regulatory Sandbox, which focus on data-driven and cash-flow based lending.
He added that measures such as waiver of prepayment charges on floating-rate loans extended to individuals and micro and small enterprises, and the relaxation in reporting under the Export and Import Data Processing and Monitoring Systems will further reduce the compliance burden and helps in ease of doing business for MSMEs.
Swaminathan also urged MSME associations to play a greater role in capacity building and in bridging information gaps to help enterprises better leverage formal financial channels. In the meeting, other industry associations also flagged the challenges on account of trade war and sought intervention from the government, regulators and banks to support MSMEs.