More Than 7.57 Crore MSMEs, IMEs Registered On Udyam Portal: Govt

New Delhi, Feb 3 (KNN) More than 7.57 crore enterprises, including Informal Micro Enterprises (IMEs), have registered on the Udyam Registration Portal (URP) as of January 25, 2026, the government informed the Rajya Sabha.
 
In a written reply, Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Shobha Karandlaje said the portal, launched on July 1, 2020, serves as the national platform for MSME registration. 
 
Enterprises may deregister for various reasons, including business closure, duplicate registration, change in ownership, or where the certificate is no longer required.
 
According to official data, only 0.17 percent of MSMEs have deregistered due to business shutdown since the inception of the Udyam Registration Portal, indicating broad sectoral resilience.
 
The Minister said the government undertook multiple measures to strengthen and support MSMEs in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Key among these was the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) of Rs 5 lakh crore, launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to provide collateral-free loans to eligible MSMEs and business enterprises to meet operational liabilities and restart operations. The scheme remained operational till March 31, 2023.
 
As per information from the Department of Financial Services (DFS), a total of 1.19 crore loans amounting to Rs 3.68 lakh crore were guaranteed under ECLGS, of which 1.13 crore loans worth Rs 2.43 lakh crore were extended to the MSME sector. 
 
A research report by the State Bank of India found that nearly 14.6 lakh MSME accounts, around 93.8 percent of which belonged to micro and small enterprises, were saved from slipping into non-performing asset (NPA) classification due to the scheme.
 
To further enhance access to finance, the government infused an additional Rs 9,000 crore into the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), as announced in the Union Budget 2023–24. This infusion is expected to facilitate additional credit of Rs 2 lakh crore to MSEs at a reduced cost.
 
The Minister also highlighted the Rs 50,000 crore Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund, aimed at providing equity support to MSMEs, and the inclusion of retail and wholesale traders as MSMEs for priority sector lending with effect from July 2, 2021. Non-tax benefits have also been extended for three years in cases of upward change in MSME status, she added.
 
To formalise informal businesses, the Udyam Assist Platform (UAP) was launched on January 11, 2023, enabling Informal Micro Enterprises to access benefits under priority sector lending. In addition, the government has restricted global tenders for procurement up to Rs 200 crore to protect domestic MSMEs.
 
The Minister further noted that to provide relief from pandemic-related stress, the Vivad se Vishwas Scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Finance in April 2023 to support the sustainability of MSME operations.
 
On regulatory support, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced multiple relief measures for MSMEs during the COVID-19 period. MSME loans above Rs 25 crore are currently governed by the Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets, which allows lenders discretion to undertake financial restructuring based on the borrower’s viability prospects.
 
(KNN Bureau)