New Delhi: According to the Delayed Payments 3.0 Report by GAME, FISME, and C2FO, the total delayed payments to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India have decreased from ₹10.7 lakh crore in 2022 to ₹7.34 lakh crore by March 2024. Despite this positive trend, delayed payments still account for over 4.6% of India’s Gross Value Added (GVA), constraining working capital and credit access for 6.4 crore MSMEs.

Shri. Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, said, “Not only is the due amount of delayed payments coming down, but there has been progress in the invoices discounted on the TReDS platform… At the same time, we appreciate that the issue of delayed payments is important and efforts cannot be slackened.”

Government measures like the expansion of TReDS, Section 43Bh of the Income Tax Act, revised MSME-1 reporting, and upgrades to the Samadhaan ODR platform show promise. However, enforcement gaps, unequal bargaining power, and slow dispute resolution continue to affect the smallest enterprises the most.

Shri. Ateesh Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME, highlighted, “There is a gender gap, statutory gaps, regional gaps, and sectoral gaps in access to credit… We need realistic, customized, and actual solutions.”

The report recommends strict enforcement of payment timelines, scaling up TReDS, faster dispute resolution, cash-flow-based digital lending, and automation of the Samadhaan portal.

Basant Kaur, Country Head, C2FO India, added, “Technology-first solutions… offer the strongest potential to support MSMEs and drive growth… unlocking up to 1.1% of GDP and boosting employment.”

Ramesh Dharmaji, GAME, and Neeraj Kedia, FISME, stressed continued collaboration to ensure timely payments, strengthen MSME cash flow, and enhance India’s economic growth.