India Launches BRICS MSME Portal To Connect Small Businesses With Finance, Markets

New Delhi, Sep 14 (KNN) Prime Minister Modi on Sunday said India has launched a BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal to connect small businesses across member countries with knowledge, finance and new markets, as New Delhi pushed greater cooperation among micro, small and medium enterprises during its 2026 chairship.

Addressing the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Modi said cooperation within the grouping should extend beyond governments. “Our entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, youth and ordinary citizens should also become active participants in it,” the Firstpost reported.

The portal is part of India's broader effort to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) access finance, technology and international markets and integrate more deeply into global value chains.

BRICS Backs MSME Financing Mechanisms

The New Delhi Declaration adopted by BRICS leaders on Saturday reaffirmed the importance of MSME internationalisation as a driver of economic growth and prosperity. It also recognised affordable finance as a key constraint on MSMEs' participation in trade and global value chains.

Under the Jaipur Consensus, BRICS countries will study the establishment of an invoice discounting mechanism for member countries. Such a mechanism could help MSMEs unlock working capital tied up in unpaid invoices and ease cash-flow constraints as they expand supply chains and overseas operations.

The declaration also commended India's convening of the first BRICS SME Forum in Agra and acknowledged the work of the BRICS SME Working Group.

Focus on Startups, Skills and Industrial Cooperation

Modi also highlighted BRICS Connect, which focuses on skills, women's workforce participation, social security and capacity building.

The grouping has established a BRICS Incubator Network to connect startups and incubators across member countries, while India has proposed a BRICS Startup Innovation Fund to support innovative and scalable solutions.

The declaration also backed cooperation in manufacturing, special economic zones, logistics, customs facilitation, railways, aviation and industrial upgrading.

Trade Barriers Raise MSME Concerns

The MSME agenda comes amid concerns over rising trade barriers. The New Delhi Declaration expressed concern over unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, saying they could distort trade, disrupt global supply chains and increase uncertainty for businesses.

BRICS reaffirmed support for a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and called for greater representation of emerging markets in global economic institutions.

The grouping also called for reforms of the IMF and World Bank and supported Ethiopia and Iran's bids for WTO accession.

India's MSME agenda under its 2026 BRICS chairship places greater emphasis on connecting small businesses with finance, technology and international markets while strengthening their participation in global value chains.

(KNN Bureau)