Monograph on

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

(MSMEs)

The Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India.

#12, Sudder Street, Kolkata - 700 016.
 THE PREFACE
There is a growing recognition worldwide that micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have an important
role to play in the present context of rapidly developing
technology and fast changing economic environment in
favour of market orientation. The major advantage of the
sector is its employment potential at low capital cost. The
labour intensity of the MSME sector is much higher than that of the large
enterprises. The MSMEs constitute over 90% of total enterprises in most
of the economies and are credited with generating the highest rates of
employment growth and account for a major share of industrial production
and exports.
In India too, the MSMEs play a pivotal role in the overall industrial
economy of the country. Given their greater resource use efficiency, capacity
for employment generation, technological innovation, promoting inter-
sectoral linkages, raising exports and developing entrepreneurial skills,
MSMEs have an important role to play in the present context. Their
locational flexibility is an important advantage in reducing regional
imbalances. In view of the MSME sector’s role in the economic and social
development of the country, the Government has emphasized on its growth
and development. It has taken various measures/initiatives from time to
time which have facilitated the sector’s ubiquitous growth. Some of the
measures taken by the Government of India include enactment of the Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, amendments to
the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, announcement of a
Package for Promotion of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), launching
of innovative schemes under National Manufacturing Competitiveness
Programme (NMCP), launching of Prime Minister’s Employment
Generation Programme (PMEGP) to generate employment opportunities,
etc.
In recent years the MSME sector has consistently registered higher
growth rate compared to the overall industrial sector. With its dexterity
and dynamism, the sector has shown admirable innovativeness and
flexibility to survive the recent economic downturn and recession. Available
statistics Says (4th Census of MSME Sector), this sector employs an
estimated 59.7 million persons spread over 26.1 million enterprises. It is
estimated that in terms of value, MSME sector accounts for about 45% of
the manufacturing output and around 40% of the total export of the
country. Of the 26 million MSMEs, only 1.5 million are in the registered
segment while the remaining 24.5 million (94%) are in the unregistered
segment. The State-wise distribution of MSMEs show that more than 55%
of these enterprises are in 6 States, namely, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Further, about
7% of MSMEs are owned by women and more than 94% of the MSMEs
are proprietorships or partnerships. MSMEs in the country manufacture
over 6,000 products. Some of the major subsectors in terms of
manufacturing output are food products (18.97%), textiles and readymade
garments (14.05%), basic metal (8.81%), chemical and chemical products
(7.55%), metal products (7.52%), machinery and equipments (6.35%),
transport equipments (4.5%), rubber and plastic products (3.9%), furniture
(2.62%), paper and paper products (2.03%) and leather and leather products
(1.98%).
The future of MSMEs is of major policy concern given their strategic
importance in any discussion of reshaping the industrial sector. This is
more so in case of India, which has one of the longest histories of
government support to the sector since independence compared to most
developing countries. Higher investments for innovative and knowledge
based ventures as well as for research and development through greater
partnership between the industry and academic institutions is required.
The ongoing exercise to introduce a new Direct Tax Code and GST should
specifically seek to achieve these policy objectives through appropriate
provisions for graded corporate tax structure, tax pass through for angel
and venture capital funds and incentives for R & D. Support should be
extended to new formats like Limited Liability Partnerships and Single
Person Companies, which provide MSMEs with an interim solution in the
move from the informal to the formal economy.

(B.M. Sharma)
President
 Monograph on
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
Background:
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) constitute an
important segment of the Indian economy in terms of their contribution to
country’s industrial production, exports, employment and creation of
entrepreneurship base. The primary responsibility for promotion and
development of MSMEs lies with State Government. However, the Government
of India has always taken active interest in supplementing the efforts of the
State Governments. The future of MSMEs is of major policy concern given
their strategic importance in any discussion of reshaping the industrial
sector. This is more so in case of India, which has one of the longest histories
of government support to the sector since independence compared to most
developing countries.

Who are they?

‘Micro’, ‘Small’ and ‘Medium’ enterprises have been comprehensively
defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development
(MSMED) Act, 2006. The Act provides the first-ever legal framework for
recognition of the concept of “enterprise”.
Under the Act, enterprises have been categorized broadly into those engaged
in (i) manufacturing and (ii) providing/rendering services. Both the
categories have been further classified into micro, small and medium
enterprises based on their investment in plant or in equipment (for
manufacturing enterprises) or in equipment (in case of enterprises providing
or rendering services).
Ø Manufacturing Enterprises: (a) Micro enterprises – investment up
to Rs. 25 lakh; (b) small enterprises – investment between Rs. 25
lakh and Rs. 5 crore; (c) Medium enterprises – investment between
Rs. 5 and 10 crores.
Ø Service Enterprises: (a) Micro enterprises – investment up to Rs.
10 lakh; (b) small enterprises – investment between Rs. 10 lakh
and Rs. 2 crore; (c) Medium enterprises – investment between Rs.
2 and 5 crores.
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 The Act provides for a statutory consultative mechanism at the national
level with wide representation of all sections of stakeholders,
particularly the three classes of enterprises, and with a wide range of
advisory functions.

Other features of the Act are as follows:

• Establishment of specific Funds for the promotion, development
and enhancement of competitiveness of these enterprises.
• Notification of schemes/programs for the above purpose.
• Preference in government procurement to products and services of
the micro and small enterprises.
• More productive mechanisms for mitigating the problems of
delayed payments to micro and small enterprises.
• Simplification of the process of closure of business by all three
categories of enterprises.

Why are MSMEs Important in the Present Context?

MSMEs have an important role to play in the present context given their
greater resource use efficiency, capacity for employment generation,
technological innovation, promoting inter-sectoral linkages, raising exports
and developing entrepreneurial skills. Their location flexibility is an
important advantage in reducing regional imbalances. In addition, there
are many economic and sociological factors that make a strong case for
advocating a big push to this sector in the present phase of economic growth
in India.
Among the economic factors, a few important ones can be stated as
follows:
• The new feature of Internet and Communication technologies (ICT)
is that they enable a much smaller scale of efficient production,
compared to the earlier technologies.

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• For minimization of risk, a new line is opened on a small scale.
• Where the material to be worked upon is not uniform, where the
processes are not amenable to quick repetitions and where the
products are not standardized, large-scale methods are not suitable
or economical, and hence small industry thrives on its own strength.
• Market imperfections, due either to consumer resistance or to
transport cost, also limit the size of the market and the scope of
large-scale production.
• The small sector has certain inherent advantages in terms of
flexibility of decision-making. This makes small firms more
innovative and open to new ideas.
• This sector is better placed to cater to specific and changing
customer needs. It may be noted that one of the finest sports car in
the world is made in small scale.
• Small industry may undercharge the consumer on the assumption
that it is really a low-cost industry, by not providing for, unwillingly
or otherwise, adequate depreciation or remuneration for the factor
of production owned or hired form friends and relatives. And the
prices so set at these costs may be competitive with that of large
industry.
• Introduction of the new technology has increased the sophistication
of products and augmented their consumer orientation. This trait
of the new technology has gone counter to mass scale production
of a product with a given specification. Consumer orientation and
preference for change as well as individualistic consumer tastes
favor flexible manufacturing systems, introduction of computer-
aided designs (CAD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).
All these favour small firms.
• Small sector plays as important part in the innovation process. For
example, in recent years, about 10 percent of all patents registered
in India have come from the small-scale sector.

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 • Small sector has built up brands that are small, reliable, trusted
and local. These tiny brands have remained small in their volume
of turnover but are truly big in their equity in the markets they
operate in.
Above all, in view of the fact emerging economy and the structural
reorientation. It is under going, the social and economic pressures that the
transformation of an agrarian economy often generates would be eased if
large numbers of those currently involved in agriculture find a role in rural
small-scale industries. This interaction has the potential of smoother the
process of liberalization of the rural economy.
Among the sociological factors the more important are as follows:
• There exists in man a desire to gamble, so that he takes risks
irrespective of consequences, and small industry provides as outlet
for this desire.
• Man often enjoys the independence or status of an entrepreneur
for its own sake, and this is possible for more men in small industry
than in large industry.
• Man starts his own business to provide employment to members
of his family who may be unemployable or less gainfully employed
elsewhere.

What MSMEs Suffer From?

A few shortcomings from which the MSMEs sector suffers are the
following.
§ This sector foregoes possible benefits from economics of scale.
This means that the prospects of these enterprises are better in
sectors where economics of scale are less important.
§ It may not be possible for a small firm to utilize its capacity as
much as a large firm can do for a variety of operational problems
related to demand, power, finance, management, etc. In some cases,
this may result in sickness and eventual closure.

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 § Small industry is an easy to enter sector and is, therefore, prone to
overcrowding, and this tendency is accentuated by the incentive
scheme.
§ Small sector may not be the most promising route to technological
up-gradation and dynamism because in most of the new sectors
technological creation has become increasingly capital-intensive.
The risk involved is also much greater. Hence, as emphasis on
small-scale industry may result in the loss of a major source of
productivity growth, namely technological progress. Increasingly,
sub-contracting and sub-subcontracting are becoming the nature
of organizing production.
§ A significant segment of this sector is engaged in polluting
industries. Apart from the fact that small scale production
technology is inherently more polluting compared to large scale
production, the small units suffer from certain disadvantages in
controlling pollution. In many units, the design of the effluent
treatment plant may not be proper. In many locations, adequate
land space is not available for installation of treatment plant. Non-
availability of trained technical personnel poses a big hindrance.
Financial constraints inhibit modernization of production process
on the one hand, and building and operation of treatment plant or
the other.
An important argument against this sector is the difficulty in controlling
these enterprises, particularly in respect of taxation and labor legislation.
Wages are often below acceptable standards and work hazards occur
frequently.
Notwithstanding these shortcomings, the MSME sector presents a pattern
of industrialization which is immensely favourable to the conditions
obtaining in the country.

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Growth Profile of the Sector:
There are clearly three stages in the growth path followed by MSME sector:
The first stage is when most small units were tied to the apron strings of
large manufacturers. These were essentially suppliers of either raw material
or intermediate products, or were providers of other finished produce. In
addition, there were also some which actually manufactured most of the
products on behalf of the large enterprises. Many times these units were
set up by a larger company through dummy investors.
Being tied by such an umbilical cord, meant, more bad than good for most
small units. It meant getting tied down to the fortunes of the mother ship.
If the markets were good for the buyer company, it meant good times for
the suppliers too. If the weather turned bad, it meant serious trouble.
The second stage came with economic reforms and globalization that ended
the day’s cozy monopolies or carefully crafted oligopolies. Companies
were more faced with a competitive landscape and the slightest slippages
automatically translated into thinner margins. Companies had to build a
robust and dependable pipeline with the vendor at the other end.
It also became necessary for buyers to invest in improving the suppliers’
technological state, his shop-flour practices, quality culture and financial
management, among other things. When provided by the right inputs and
the right environment, many of these ancillaries turned out to be world
class companies, enhancing not only their overall performance but also
contributing significantly to the competitive strength of their buyers.
In the third stage, a new breed of small units started taking hold. These
were small–to–medium units with new technology, new management
practices and new enterprise-wide systems. They saw the world as their
marker, not restrained by any state or national boundaries, or being tied
down to the large buyers. They realized the necessity of building new brands
and invested money in them, scaling up size of manpower gradually. Many
of these enterprises also made either green field investments or small
acquisitions overseas. Some of them have become today preferred suppliers
to a large number of Fortune-500 companies and transiting from their small-
medium status to the big size.

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Present Status:
v The Fourth All India Census Report of MSMEs brings to light the
following facts.
v There were 26.1 million MSMEs in 2006-2007.
v They represent 90 percent of India’s registered companies.
v They account for about 40 percent of GDP and contribute about 40
percent of exports as well.
v 72 percent of these enterprises are engaged in services sector and
only 28 percent of the MSMEs constitute the manufacturing sector.
v Service sector units are largely in Apparel, followed by Food
Products and Beverages and Maintenance of Personal and
Household goods.
v The MSME sector accounts for employment of 59.5 million
persons, of which 9.5 million are in registered units and 50.3 million
in the unregistered units.
Data from the International Finance Corporation shows that the number
of formalized SMEs in a country increases with a more favorable
investment climate, which includes a low cost of doing business and a
short average time to start an enterprise.
The plan outlay for the Ministry of MSME for 2010-11 is Rs. 2550.00
crore. Out of this, the gross budgetary support accounts for Rs. 2400.00
crore, whereas Rs. 150.00 crore is slated to come from internal and extra
budgetary resources (IEBR).
Measures to Promote the Sector:
India has the largest history of small enterprises development policy in
Asia as well as in the world at large. In the post-reforms period, there has
been a shift in focus from ‘protection’ to ‘promotion’.
In order to give more impetus to the sector, a number of central and state-
level institutions have been set up to look after different aspects of the
development program me. A brief glance of these institutions is presented
in Table-1

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 Table-1: PROMOTIONAL INSTITUTIONS

INSTITUTION MAJOR ACTIVITY

A: Central level
Small Industries Development Apex body for promotion at the
Organization (SIDO) center
1. Small Industries Service
Institutes (SISIs)
2. National Small Industries Marketing, Machinery on hire
Corporation (NSIC) purchase, import of raw materials,
exhibition, etc.
3. National Institute of Small Research, training, consultancy
Industries Extension Training etc.
(NISIET)
4.National Institute for Coordination of Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship and Small Development Programmes (EDP)
Business Development organized by various EDP
(NIESBUD) Institutions in the country
5. Small Industries Development Finance to provide direct and
Bank of India (SIDBI) indirect assistance
B State Level
1. Directorate of Industries State level apex body
2. Small Industries Development Promotion of small-sector
Corporation through industrial estates
3. Small Industries Marketing Long term finance
Corporation
C District Level
District Industries Centers Provision of multiple service and
support under a single roof

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The various measures taken to promote the sector have included both
protective measures and promotional program me. The dimensions of the
protective framework are tabulated in Table-2 below:

Tabel-2 DIMENSIONS OF PROTECTIVE FRAMEWORK

POLICY MEASURS IMPLICATION

1. Demarcation Through Definition Eligibility to avail all

concessions, benefits and
incentives
2. Concessional Finance Lower cost of capital
3. Priority Sector Lending Ensures the flow of a certain
percentage of credit
4. Fiscal Incentives Wide ranging tax benefits
5. Price Preference If quality is comparable, SST
products are preferred to large
industry products for
government departments
6. Reservation of Items for Assured market
exclusive Government Purchases
7. Reservation of Item for Virtually presents any kind of
exclusive manufacturing in competition from large scale
SSI sector units
8. Preferential access to raw Assured supply of scarce
materials and liberal import raw materials
policy
9. Exemption from Labour Policy More operational freedom

Among the Promotional measures, a few important ones are as follows:

• A quality certification scheme has been launched to improve the
quality standards of the products which are to be assisted by
awareness programmes and financial support to acquire ISO 9000
or similar international quality standards.

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• Since 2002, expenses incurred to acquire ISO 14001 Environment
Standard are being reimbursed.
• A Small Enterprise Information and Resources Centre Network
(SENET) has been set up by installing net linked computers in
small industries service institutes, technology nodal centers and
the office of the Development Commissioner of the Central
Government.
• SIDBI introduced a scheme of assistance for supporting the
development of industrial areas. Under the scheme, assistance will
be extended to the state small industries development corporations,
state infrastructure development corporations and other such bodies
engaged in developing industrial areas.
• Small enterprises are treated as a priority sector for extending credit
by financing institutions. As such, 10 percent of the total credit to
be advanced by commercial banks should go to small scale units.
• Banks have been allowed to provide lines of credit to state industrial
development or financial corporations for extending loans to small-
scale units, which will be treated as part of priority sector loans.
• National Equity Fund has been set up to promote small industries.
The fund will help bridge the critical industries. The Fund will
help bridge the critical gap in entrepreneurs’ contribution for
commencing a project or undertaking modernization.
• A credit Guarantee Fund Trust for small industries has been
constituted.
• A credit rating agency, by the name of SMESIL, has started
functioning. This would enable banks to determine appropriate
pricing of loans.
• The RBI has directed banks to adopt ‘cluster-based’ approach by
adopting a 4-C approach, namely customer focus, cost control,
cross-sell and contain risk.
• A scheme for Small Enterprises Financial Centers has been
implemented since 2005-06. It encourages banks to establish
mechanisms for better coordination between their branches and
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 those of SIDBI, which are located in the identified clusters, for co-
financing the SMEs.

• A Market Development Assistance Scheme has been launched

exclusively for the small sector.
• A sub-contract exchange (SCX) has been set up. It helps the small
sector gain information or areas in which they could work jointly
with large industries.
• The NSIC has launched a B2B web portal and established a
marketing intelligence cell which shall provide database and
information support to the MSMEs.

It can therefore be seen that the government has adopted a multi-faceted

program me of development for MSMEs. This program I have gained
strength with the adoption of the new policy for small industries.
New Policy for Small Industries:
The current policy in operation has proposed clear guidelines to deal with
the three major areas of concern for the sector viz.: (i) finance, (ii)
marketing, and (iii) technology. The major thrust areas of the policy are
tabulated in Tabel-3 below.

Table 3: MAJOR THRUST AREAS IN NEW POLICY

MAJOR FEATURES OBJECTIVES

1 Emphasis to shift fro subsidies/ To meet the emerging demand
cheap credit to adequate credit for credit.
2 Equity participation by other
undertakings - domestic/foreign.
3 Introduction of factoring services
through banks
4 Marketing of mass consumption To strengthen small industry
grads under common brand name marketing
5 Industry associations to be
involved in setting up
sub-contracting exchanges

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 MAJOR FEATURES OBJECTIVES
6 Technology Development Cell in To upgrade technology and
Small Industry Development promote modernization.
Organization.
7 Industry association to establish
quality counseling and common
testing facilities
8 Technology Information Centre
and Technology Bureau for small
Enterprises
9 Reoriented modernization and
technology up-gradation
programmes- cluster-based
approach

The new policy seeks to promote complementary between MSMEs and

larger units. It further seeks to create an environment where-in different
segments that differ in scale and size can co-exist.
Co-existence of MSMEs with Large Enterprises:
It would therefore be wrong to view MSMEs as entities independent from
large units. The basic point is that size, like a machine or technology, must
fit its functions. A watch on a tower is pointless just as a clock on a wrist
is a net liability.
• There are certain product lines in which MSMEs possess a definite
advantage overt the large-sized units. In these, MSMEs can work
as complementary to large units, carrying out certain operations
or making certain parts for delivery to large firms. This would be
particularly relevant in those cases where a firm producing a final
product needs many intermediate products. A choice for the firm
can now be either to manufacture those components or outsource
its manufacturing to other firms. If the firm’s demand for such

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 components is small, it would not realize scale economies (and
other cost savings) by undertaking to produce them itself. It would
therefore be advantageous to buy such inputs from a specialized
sub-contractor who can reduce costs by achieving scale economies
and by employing inputs geared to production of these components.
• The specialized firm, if it is of a smaller size, may also have lower
capital costs. These complementary enterprises, also known as
ancillary units, are found both in consumer goods industries and
capital goods industries.
Liberalization, and the resultant availability of new technology, has opened
up many new areas and complementarily.
In order to promote coexistence and enable MSMEs to play their rightful
role in the rapidly emerging economy of India, following sets of measures
can be further recommended:
• A more discriminating program me of assistance need to be
designed and operated for better allocation needs. The principle of
discriminating assistance involves, among others, the following.
Ø Favoring the growth-oriented and viable units and the units
satisfying the socio-economic norms, and avoiding others.
Ø Fostering more of the clustered units to reinforce backward
and forward linkages.
Ø Relying exclusively or principally on assistance related to
raw materials, marketing, machinery, technical advice, etc.
sparingly.
Ø Giving timely and adequate assistance.
• As part of a programme of development assistance, it is necessary
to accord priority to measures calculated to improve managerial
efficiency and productivity, and bring about modernization of
equipment, know-how, techniques, management and organization
structure.

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• The government’s declared policy of encouraging sub-contracting
between small and large units is based on grounds of economy,
efficiency, vertical diffusion of technology and specialization as
well as for providing continuing support to ancillaries. The large
industries should be made to play the game in a fair way.
Ancillarisation should be practiced on a realistic, mutually
beneficial and fair basis.
• There is indeed a pressing need to improve the skill base of small
firms so as to upgrade the level of technical and general education
of workers. Apart from improvement of theoretical instruction,
efforts are required to upgrade practical experience in collaboration
with large industry including public sector undertakings.
• An integrated package comprising appropriate policy support and
inputs such as technology, management, finance, marketing aid,
training and incentives has to be designed to remedy the problems
of MSMEs. The approach in all this should, however, be
developmental and not protective.
• In order to ensure that MSMEs serves the objective of industrial
dispersal, an approach which emphasizes economies of
infrastructure, agglomeration and inter-industry linkages would
prove more effective.
• MSMEs should be encouraged to adopt low-cost automation which
way assume three forms viz. (a) integration, (b) feedback control,
and (c) technology. Integration involves processes in which the
finished product is moved automatically untouched by hands.
Feedback control is mainly on electronic process by which errors
or diversion of the machine from a planned performance is
automatically corrected. Computer technology depends on the use
of electronically operated machines capable of recording and
classifying information.

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• The current technology is predominantly information-intensive
unlike the earlier technologies that were essentially material-
intensive. Denial of access to the information highway, in this
information age, will severely handicap entrepreneurs in their quest
for information on the latest technology, designs, and market
conditions preventing them from networking with other firms. The
government should take urgent measures to introduce more agencies
to provide these services and bring in an element of competition.
Without these, the Indian firms will not secure a level paying filed
to be globally competitive.
• MSMEs should strive to make Intellectual Property Right a key
element of their business operations as it helps them in increasing
their competitiveness. The intellectual property (IP) protection is
helpful in:
Ø preventing competitors from copying or closely imitating a
company’s products or services,
Ø avoiding wasteful investment in research and development
and marketing;
Ø creating a corporate identity through a trading and branding
strategy;
Ø negotiating licensing, franchising or other IP-based contractual
agreement;
Ø increasing the market value of the company;
Ø acquiring venture capital and enhancing access to finance;
Ø Obtaining access to new markets.

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 Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1. I wish to be self-employed. What are the options open to me?

A: You can set up your own business and manage it.

Q2. Does it have to be a factory only or some other enterprise also?

A: As long as you want to set up your own business, it need not be
only a manufacturing enterprise. It can as well be a service
enterprise. Any business, if well-managed and efficiently run, can
be equally lucrative.

Q3. What should be my choice? Should I go in for manufacturing

or a service enterprise?
A: Nobody else can make this choice for you. It is you who have to
make a choice. You have to initiate a process of conception,
preparation and execution. It is you who have to conceive an idea
(or even borrow it from any of the multiple sources). You have to
understand the nuts and bolts of this idea, as to what are the
requirements that need to be in place in order for the idea to be
given a real shape. You have to identify the resources that can be
arranged by you, as also the resources that you will be required to
arrange from outside sources. These could be intellectual, physical
or financial resources. Once you have a transparent and clear idea
about your requirements, you will have to get yourself acquainted
with the legal obligations attached to your proposed enterprise. In
short, before you commit yourself you need to develop a complete
business model within which you intend to operate.

Q4. At what scale should I begin my enterprise i.e. should I plan on

a small-scale, medium scale or large scale.
A: The scale, in the final analysis, is determined by the volume of
resources available, among which the more important are the
financial resources and your entrepreneurial capabilities. If these
are limited, you should plan on a small-scale only. Gradually, the

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 scale can grow as the enterprise generates surplus and economies
of scale begin to be realized.

Q5. Do I take it that if I do not have any financial savings I cannot

hope to set up my own enterprise?
A: Yes and No. Yes, because to set up any enterprise you need some
seed capital. This has to be arranged from your own resources.
You can arrange it from your family, friends, etc. These would all
be informal sources. You cannot look forward to arrange large
sums by this source. And no institutional lender would be willing
to lend you money as long as he is not assured about the viability,
and hence repaying capacity, of your enterprise. No, because if
you have a sound business plan and can convince others about the
success of your proposed venture, you will always find persons
who are willing to put their money on stake in exchange for a part
ownership in your venture.
Alternatively, even debt-finance may also be available. The only
requirement is that it should be a sound business model.

Q6. I gather the impression that I cannot depend upon government

and commercial banks to extend me the necessary financial
resources. Is it so?
A: This is not true. The government has formulated different schemes
to extend financial support to first generation entrepreneurs. For
example, the State Governments provide seed capital and margin
money assistance to small-scale entrepreneurs in order to enable
them to secure loans from the commercial banks and the State
Finance Corporations. Similarly, the National Equity Fund has
been set up to help in bridging the gap in entrepreneurs’ contribution
for commencing a project or undertake modernization of an existing
enterprise. The Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana is a
handholding scheme for the prospective first generation
entrepreneurs. In addition, financial assistance is also made
available through State Finance Corporations and State Industrial
Development Corporations.

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Q7: Does the government provide any other help or measure of
assistance?
A: A number of institutional measures have been instituted to extend
assistance to MSMEs, right from their conception stage onwards.
This includes provision of technical know-how, training in
advanced skills, marketing assistance, etc. In addition, various
fiscal incentives have been designed for the benefit of MSMEs.

Q8: Can you give any assurance that I will be a success in my

venture?
A: You yourself are the best guarantee for the success of your
enterprise. If, you are motivated, hard-working and disciplined
and a true believer in your own idea, sky is the limit. Pursue it.

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