New Delhi, Mar 25 (KNN) With mere 437 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) listed on the stock market, country’s economic lifeline need freedom to operate and a new kind of economic patriotism, said chief of SKOCH Group.

Stressing on the need for economic patriotism at the summit organized by SKOCH Group, Chairman and an eminent reforms historian Sameer Kochhar said “Only 437 MSMEs are listed on the stock market out of lakhs of enterprises in the country and need freedom to operate.”

The summit was organized to discuss the imperative role of MSMEs in economic patriotism and the right perspective on practicing patriotism from various practical angles.

State policies and swadeshi movement of the freedom struggle era is what we call as Make in India today have failed to support MSMEs at large, said Kochhar.

He said that Indian economy which thrives largely on its MSMEs and despite them being the lifeline of millions of Indians, India’s policy environment has never been conducive to their growth.

One of the biggest debate of the time is the job crunch that India is facing today. The irony is that millions of SMEs and MSMEs are striving for the right talent so where are these job seekers, questioned Kochhar.

It’s the right time for us to realize that MSMEs being the backbone of country’s growth can take a leading role in Economic Patriotism, he stated.

Lack of adequate capital is a big challenge for MSMEs; even the 59 minute loan is only available to GST registered firms said Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Addressing corporate patriotism, Former Chairman of SEBI, M Damodaran said “CSR is an affair of the heart, not an entry in the accounting books. We should look at what the corporates can and should do to further the cause of patriotism in the country.”

SKOCH Group is India’s topmost think-tank for socio-economic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997. Its research is accepted across political spectrum and is used for parliamentary replies as well as policy formulation.