MSME Registration In India
MSME stands for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. In a developing country like India, MSME industries are the backbone of the economy. When these industries grow, the economy of the country grows as a whole and flourishes. These industries are also known as small-scale industries or SSI’s.
Even if the Company is in the manufacturing line or the service line, registrations for both these areas can be obtained through the MSME act. This registration is not yet made mandatory by the Government but it is beneficial to get one’s business registered under this because it provides a lot of benefits in terms of taxation, setting up the business, credit facilities, loans etc.
What are Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise?
Previously the existing MSME classification was based on the criteria of investment in plant and machinery or equipment. So, to enjoy the MSME benefits, the MSMEs have to limit their investment to a lower limit, as mentioned below:
| Existing MSME Classification | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sector | Criteria | Micro | Small | Medium |
| Manufacturing | Investment | < Rs.25 lakh | < Rs.5 crore | < Rs.10 crore |
| Services | Investment | < Rs.10 lakh | < Rs.2 crore | < Rs.5 crore |
These lower limits were killing the urge to grow as they were unable to scale their businesses further. Also, there had been a long-pending demand for the revision of MSME classification so that they can further expand their operations while continuing to avail the MSME benefits.
Now, under the Aatmanirbhar bharat Abhiyan (ABA), the government revised the MSME classification by inserting composite criteria of both investment and annual turnover. Also, the distinction between the manufacturing and the services sectors under the MSME definition was removed. The following is the current revised MSME classification, where the investment and annual turnover are to be considered for deciding an MSME.