RBI releases master direction on lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector

Naresh Kumar Sagar
Just now


The Reserve Bank of India has, from time to time, issued a number of guidelines / instructions / circulars / directives to banks in the matters relating to lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Sector. RBI released Master Direction on Lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector which incorporates the updated guidelines / instructions / circulars on the subject. The details of the direction are mentioned below:
Short Title and Commencement
(a) These Directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India [Lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector] Directions, 2017.
(b) These Directions shall come into effect on the day (24th July 2017) they are placed on the official website of the Reserve Bank of India .
Applicability: The provisions of these Directions shall apply to every Scheduled Commercial Bank {excluding Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)} licensed to operate in India by the Reserve Bank of India.
Definitions/ Clarifications
In these Directions, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms herein shall bear the meanings assigned to them as below:
(a) The MSMED Act, 2006 means ‘Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006’ as notified by the Government of India on June 16, 2006 and the amendments, if any, carried out therein by the Government of India from time to time.
(b) ‘Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ mean the enterprises as defined in the MSMED Act, 2006 and the amendments, if any, carried out therein by the Government of India from time to time.
(c) ‘Manufacturing’ and ‘Service’ Enterprises mean the enterprises as defined in the MSMED Act, 2006 or as notified by the Government of India, Ministry of MSME under the MSMED Act, 2006 from time to time.
(d) ‘Priority Sector’ means the sectors as defined in Master Direction - Reserve Bank of India (Priority Sector Lending –Targets and Classification) Directions, 2016 dated July 07, 2016 or as modified from time to time.
(e) ‘Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC)’ would mean Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) as defined in Master Direction - Reserve Bank of India (Priority Sector Lending–Targets and Classification) Directions, 2016 dated July 07, 2016 or as modified from time to time.
Targets / sub-targets for lending to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector by Domestic Commercial Banks and Foreign Banks operating in India - Advances to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector shall be reckoned in computing achievement under the overall Priority Sector target of 40 percent of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) or credit equivalent amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher, as per the extant guidelines on priority sector lending.
Domestic Commercial Banks are required to achieve a sub-target of 7.5 percent of ANBC or Credit Equivalent Amount of Off-Balance Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher, for lending to Micro Enterprises. The sub-target for Micro Enterprises for foreign banks with 20 branches and above operating in India would be made applicable post 2018 after a review in 2017. However, this sub-target for lending to Micro Enterprises is not applicable to foreign banks with less than 20 branches operating in India .
Bank loans above Rs.5 crore per borrower / unit to Micro and Small Enterprises and Rs.10 crore to Medium Enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services and defined in terms of investment in equipment under MSMED Act, 2006, shall not be reckoned in computing achievement under the overall Priority Sector targets as above. However, bank loans above Rs.5 crore per borrower / unit to Micro and Small Enterprises would be taken into account while assessing the performance of the banks with regard to their achievement of targets prescribed by the Prime Minister’s Task Force on MSMEs for lending to MSE sector.
In terms of the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on MSMEs, banks are advised to achieve:
(i) 20 per cent year-on-year growth in credit to micro and small enterprises,
(ii) 10 per cent annual growth in the number of micro enterprise accounts and
(iii) 60 per cent of total lending to MSE sector as on corresponding quarter of the previous year to Micro enterprises.
Common guidelines / instructions for lending to MSME sector
Issue of Acknowledgement of Loan Applications to MSME borrowers-- Banks are advised to mandatorily acknowledge all loan applications, submitted manually or online, by their MSME borrowers and ensure that a running serial number is recorded on the application form as well as on the acknowledgement receipt. Banks are further advised to put in place a system of Central Registration of loan applications, online submission of loan applications and a system of e-tracking of MSE loan applications.
Collateral-- Banks are mandated not to accept collateral security in the case of loans up to Rs.10 lakh extended to units in the MSE sector. Banks are also advised to extend collateral-free loans up to Rs. 10 lakh to all units financed under the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) administered by KVIC. Banks may, on the basis of good track record and financial position of the MSE units, increase the limit to dispense with the collateral requirement for loans up to Rs.25 lakh (with the approval of the appropriate authority). Banks are advised to strongly encourage their branch level functionaries to avail of the Credit Guarantee Scheme cover, including making performance in this regard a criterion in the evaluation of their field staff.
Composite loan-- A composite loan limit of Rs.1 crore can be sanctioned by banks to enable the MSE entrepreneurs to avail of their working capital and term loan requirement through Single Window.
Revised General Credit Card (GCC) Scheme-- In order to enhance the coverage of GCC Scheme to ensure greater credit linkage for all productive activities within the overall Priority Sector guidelines and to capture all credit extended by banks to individuals for non-farm entrepreneurial activity, the GCC guidelines were revised on December 2, 2013.
Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLSS)-- Government of India , Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises had launched Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) for Technology Upgradation of Micro and Small Enterprises subject to the following terms and conditions:
(i) Ceiling on the loan under the scheme is Rs.1 crore.
(ii) The rate of subsidy is 15% for all units of micro and small enterprises up to loan ceiling at Sr. No. (i) above.
(iii) Calculation of admissible subsidy will be done with reference to the purchase price of plant and machinery instead of term loan disbursed to the beneficiary unit.
(iv) SIDBI and NABARD will continue to be implementing agencies of the scheme.
Streamlining flow of credit to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) for facilitating timely and adequate credit flow during their ‘Life Cycle’: In order to provide timely financial support to Micro and Small enterprises facing financial difficulties during their ‘Life Cycle’, guidelines were issued to banks vide our circular FIDD.MSME & NFS.BC.No.60/06.02.31/2015-16 dated August 27, 2015 on the captioned subject. Banks are advised to review and tune their existing lending policies to the MSE sector by incorporating therein the following provisions so as to facilitate timely and adequate availability of credit to viable MSE borrowers especially during the need of funds in unforeseen circumstances:
i) To extend standby credit facility in case of term loans
ii) Additional working capital to meet with emergent needs of MSE units
iii) Mid-term review of the regular working capital limits, where banks are convinced that changes in the demand pattern of MSE borrowers require increasing the existing credit limits of the MSMEs, every year based on the actual sales of the previous year.
iv) Timelines for Credit Decisions
Debt Restructuring Mechanism for MSMEs: All scheduled commercial banks are advised to follow the guidelines / instructions pertaining to SME Debt Restructuring, as contained in circular DBR.No.BP.BC.2/21.04.048/2015-16 dated July 1, 2015 on ‘Master Circular - Prudential norms on Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning pertaining to Advances’ and as updated from time to time.
All commercial banks are also advised in terms of our circular RPCD.SME&NFS.BC.No. 102/06.04.01/2008-09 dated May 4, 2009 to do the following:
· put in place loan policies governing extension of credit facilities, Restructuring/Rehabilitation policy for revival of potentially viable sick units / enterprises (now read with guidelines on Framework for Revival and Rehabilitation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises issued on March 17, 2016) and non- discretionary One Time Settlement scheme for recovery of non-performing loans for the MSE sector, with the approval of the Board of Directors and
· give wide publicity to the One Time settlement scheme implemented by them, by placing it on the bank’s website and through other possible modes of dissemination. They may allow reasonable time to the borrowers to submit the application and also make payment of the dues in order to extend the benefits of the scheme to eligible borrowers.
· implement recommendations with regard to timely and adequate flow of credit to the MSE sector.
The detailed circular on Master Direction - Lending to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Sector released by RBI is enclosed for your kind reference


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Dear All,

IMF retains India's growth projections at 7.2% for 2017


International monetary fund (IMF) in its latest update on World Economic Outlook (WEO) has anticipated global growth forecast to pick up in 2017 and 2018 .The global growth for 2016 is estimated at 3.2 % as of now, slightly stronger than the April 2017 forecast, mainly reflecting much higher growth in Iran and stronger activity in India following national accounts revisions. Economic activity in both advanced economies and emerging and developing economies has been forecasted to accelerate in 2017, to 2 % and 4.6 % respectively, with global growth projected to be 3.5 %, unchanged from the April forecast.

For advanced economies, the growth forecast for 2018 is 1.9 % which is 0.1 percentage point below the April 2017 WEO, and 4.8 % for emerging and developing economies. The 2018 global growth forecast is unchanged at 3.6 %. The revisions reflect primarily the macroeconomic implications of changes in policy assumptions for the world’s two largest economies, the United States and China.

Advanced economies

Ø  The growth forecast in the United States has been revised down from 2.3 % to 2.1 % in 2017 and from 2.5 % to 2.1 % for the year 2018.

Ø  The growth forecast has also been revised down for the United Kingdom for 2017 on weaker-than-expected activity in the first quarter.

Ø  Growth projections for 2017 have been revised up for many euro area countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Ø  The growth forecast for 2017 was also revised up for Canada, where buoyant domestic demand boosted first-quarter growth to 3.7 % and marginally for Japan, where private consumption, investment, and exports supported first-quarter growth.

Emerging and developing economies

Ø  Emerging and developing economies are anticipated to see a persistent pickup in activity, with growth rising from 4.3 % in 2016 to 4.6 % in 2017 and 4.8 % in 2018.

Ø  China’s growth is expected to remain at 6.7 % in 2017, the same level as in 2016, and to decline only modestly in 2018 to 6.4%.

Ø  Growth in India is forecast to pick up further in 2017 and 2018, in line with the April 2017 forecast. While activity slowed following the currency exchange initiative, growth for 2016, at 7.1%, was higher than anticipated due to strong government spending and data revisions that show stronger momentum in the first part of the year.

Ø  In Emerging and Developing Europe, growth is projected to pick up in 2017, primarily driven by a higher growth forecast for Turkey, where exports recovered strongly in the last quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017 following four quarters of moderate contraction, and external demand is projected to be stronger with improved prospects for euro area trading partners. The Russian economy is projected to recover gradually in 2017 and 2018, in line with the April forecast.

Ø  After contracting in 2016, economic activity in Latin America is projected to recover gradually in 2017–18 as a few countries including Argentina and Brazil exit their recessions.

Ø  Growth in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan region is projected to slow considerably in 2017, reflecting primarily a slowdown in activity in oil exporters, before recovering in 2018.

Ø  In Sub-Saharan Africa, the outlook remains challenging. Growth is projected to rise in 2017 and 2018, but will barely return to positive territory in per capita terms this year for the region as a whole and would remain negative for about a third of the countries in the region.

As per the report, while risks around the global growth forecast broadly appear balanced in the near term, they remain skewed to the downside over the medium term. On the upside, the cyclical rebound could be stronger and more persistent in Europe, where political risk has diminished. On the downside, rich market valuations and very low volatility in an environment of high policy uncertainty raise the possibility of a market correction, which could diminish growth and confidence.

Keeping in view the weak core inflation and muted wage pressures, policy settings should remain consistent with lifting inflation expectations in line with targets, closing output gaps, and external rebalancing, where appropriate. Reforms to boost potential output are of great essence, and slow aggregate output growth makes it even more important that gains are shared widely across the income distribution. Financial stability risks need close monitoring in many emerging economies. Commodity exporters should continue adjusting to lower revenues, while diversifying their sources of growth over time.