Definition of Micro & Small Enterprises

Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006

The Government of India has enacted the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006 on June 16, 2006 which was notified on October 2, 2006. With the enactment of MSMED Act 2006, the paradigm shift that has taken place is the inclusion of the services sector in the definition of Micro, Small & Medium enterprises, apart from extending the scope to medium enterprises. The MSMED Act, 2006 has modified the definition of micro, small and medium enterprises engaged in manufacturing or production and providing or rendering of services. The Reserve Bank has notified the changes to all scheduled commercial banks. Further, the definition, as per the Act, has been adopted for purposes of bank credit vide RBI circular ref. RPCD.PLNFS. BC.No.63/ 06.02.31/ 2006-07 dated April 4, 2007.

1 Definition of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

(a) Enterprises engaged in the manufacture or production, processing or preservation of goods as specified below:

(i) A micro enterprise is an enterprise where investment in plant and machinery does not exceed Rs. 25 lakh;

(ii) A small enterprise is an enterprise where the investment in plant and machinery is more than Rs. 25 lakh but does not exceed Rs. 5 crore; and

(iii) A medium enterprise is an enterprise where the investment in plant and machinery is more than Rs.5 crore but does not exceed Rs.10 crore.

In case of the above enterprises, investment in plant and machinery is the original cost excluding land and building and the items specified by the Ministry of Small Scale Industries vide its notification No.S.O. 1722(E) dated October 5, 2006 (Annex I).

(b) Enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services and whose investment in equipment (original cost excluding land and building and furniture, fittings and other items not directly related to the service rendered or as may be notified under the MSMED Act, 2006) are specified below.

(i) A micro enterprise is an enterprise where the investment in equipment does not exceed Rs. 10 lakh;

(ii) A small enterprise is an enterprise where the investment in equipment is more than Rs.10 lakh but does not exceed Rs. 2 crore; and

(iii) A medium enterprise is an enterprise where the investment in equipment is more than Rs. 2 crore but does not exceed Rs. 5 crore.

These will include small road & water transport operators, small business, retail trade, professional & self-employed persons and other service enterprises

Lending by banks to medium enterprises will not be included for the purpose of reckoning of advances under the priority sector.

(iv) Since the MSMED Act, 2006 does not provide for clubbing of investments of different enterprises set up by same person / company for the purpose of classification as Micro, Small and Medium enterprises, the Gazette Notification No. S.O.2 (E) dated January 1, 1993 on clubbing of investments of two or more enterprises under the same ownership for the purpose of classification of industrial undertakings as SSI has been rescinded vide GOI Notification No. S.O. 563 (E) dated February 27, 2009.

1.1 Khadi and Village Industries Sector (KVI)

All advances granted to units in the KVI sector, irrespective of their size of operations, location and amount of original investment in plant and machinery will be covered under priority sector advances and will be eligible for consideration under the sub-target (60 per cent) of the micro enterprises segment within the MSE Sector.

1.2 Indirect Finance

1.2.1 Persons involved in assisting the decentralised sector in the supply of inputs and marketing of outputs of artisans, village and cottage industries.

1.2.2 Advances to cooperatives of producers in the decentralised sector viz. artisans, village and cottage industries.

1.2.3 Loans granted by banks to Micro Finance Institutions on, or after, April 1, 2011 for on-lending to micro and small enterprises (manufacturing as well as services) subject to the compliance of guidelines specified in Master Circular RPCD. CO. Plan. BC.12/04.09.01/ 2012-13 dated July 2, 2012 on 'Lending to Priority Sector'.