India's parliamentary panel pushes MSME support to boost exports

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry, chaired by Tiruchi Siva, met in New Delhi to discuss strengthening support for traditional and labour‑intensive micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Siva highlighted that MSMEs contribute about 48.5 % of India’s exports and are the second‑largest source of employment after agriculture, providing livelihoods to roughly 32.8 crore people.

Government data show MSMEs account for 31.1 % of GDP, 48.58 % of total exports and 35.4 % of manufacturing output, encompassing more than 7.47 crore enterprises across manufacturing, services and trade. The committee stressed the need for formalisation of informal firms so they can access credit and other support, noting that by March 2026 over 7.9 crore MSMEs had registered through the Udyam and Udyam Assist platforms. Siva said, “The members gave their views and suggestions. We see a substantial improvement in the working of the MSMEs… We are assessing their impact as well,” referring to recent trade agreements and their effect on the manufacturing and export sectors.