MSME Ministry likely to raise investment cap for SMEs

29 Jul 2013 Evaluate

In order to boost the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, MSME minister K H Muniyappa is in favour of increasing the investment cap to $2 million in these units, from which global retailers have to source 30 percent of items under the multi-brand retail policy. This would imply that multi brand retailers would be able to source a minimum of 30% of materials from MSMEs with investments in plant and machinery of $2 million instead of $1 million.

As per the current retail FDI policy, multi-brand retailers mandated to source a minimum of 30% of inputs from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a maximum investment in plant and machinery at $1 million and sourcing would be considered only with reference to the front-end store and no other form of distribution would be permitted. On the other hand, Retail giants like Tesco, Carrefour and Walmart have asked the government to relax 30 percent mandatory sourcing condition and suggested to make it preferable requirement for the single-brand retailing. However, the MSME ministry is not in favour of diluting this norm.

Further, the MSME ministry said that there must be a time limit for the retailers to continue sourcing from units that have grown beyond the investment limit. By adding further, he stated that, a three-year period from the day an MSME outgrows the investment limit of $2 million would provide required space to equip itself to independently supply the retailer without being covered under the 30 percent procurement.

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