Over 6.67 Lakh MSMEs Receive ZED Certification; Women-Owned Units Get 100Percent Subsidy

New Delhi, Aug 4 (KNN) More than 6.67 lakh MSMEs had received Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) certifications as of July 7, 2026, while around 9.49 lakh MSMEs had registered under the MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises provides a 100Percent  subsidy on ZED Certification for eligible women-owned MSMEs. The provision has been in effect since November 11, 2023.

The ZED certification framework has three levels—Bronze, Silver and Gold. As of July 7, 2026, more than 6.67 lakh Bronze, 6,700 Silver and 4,800 Gold certifications had been awarded. More than Rs 913 crore in financial assistance had also been provided under the scheme.

Eligible MSMEs can receive financial assistance of up to 75Percent  of testing, system or product certification costs, subject to a maximum of Rs 50,000.

The scheme also provides up to Rs 2 lakh for handholding and consultancy and up to Rs 3 lakh for adopting Zero Effect solutions, pollution-control measures and cleaner technologies.

ZED has been incorporated into the industrial policies of 22 States and Union Territories, which provide additional incentives to certified MSMEs. Nineteen financial institutions are also offering benefits such as concessions on processing fees and interest rates to ZED-certified enterprises.

Under the scheme, Finex Industries Pvt. Ltd. in Dindori, Nashik, received ZED Silver Certification on July 14, 2025. The company reported an 11Percent  reduction in Cost of Poor Quality, 10Percent  reduction in rework and 1Percent  reduction in defects after adopting ZED practices.

Concept Clothing Pvt. Ltd. in Jalandhar, Punjab, received ZED Silver Certification on June 14, 2025. The company reported an 80Percent  reduction in workplace incidents, 50Percent  reduction in Mean Time to Repair, 7.4Percent  reduction in rework and 4Percent  reduction in rejection following the adoption of ZED practices.

The ZED scheme provides MSMEs with certification, financial assistance and support for quality improvement, process efficiency and environmental management.

(KNN Bureau)