Jammu, Nov 10 (KNS): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Jammu, convened the 72nd Meeting of the Empowered Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, for the quarter ended September 30, 2026.

The meeting was chaired by Shri Prabhakar Jha, Regional Director, RBI, Jammu, and attended by representatives of various government departments, banks, financial institutions and industry associations.

In his inaugural address, the Regional Director highlighted the significant contribution of the MSME sector to India's economic growth, particularly its potential for employment generation and entrepreneurship in the two Union Territories.

Emphasising the vast opportunities available in sectors such as handicrafts, handloom, food processing, horticulture and tourism, he stressed the need to enhance institutional credit, promote the formalisation of enterprises and facilitate better market access.

He also urged banks to intensify their efforts towards the wider adoption of Udyam Registration, Udyam Assist and the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platforms. He further emphasised the importance of improving coverage under various credit guarantee schemes to ensure easier access to institutional finance for MSMEs.

The Committee reviewed the flow of credit to the MSME sector, district-wise credit deployment and the achievement of targets under the MSME Annual Credit Plan 2026-27.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelOther important areas of review included the availability of collateral-free loans, Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) and coverage under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

The progress achieved under various government-sponsored schemes, including the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), PM-SVANidhi, PM-MUDRA and PM-Vishwakarma, was also reviewed.

The Committee further deliberated on several important issues, including the implementation of the Framework for Revival and Rehabilitation of stressed MSME units, pendency in credit decisions on loan applications of up to ?25 lakh submitted by Micro and Small Enterprise (MSE) borrowers, and the availability of banking facilities in MSME clusters.

The participating banks and other stakeholders assured the Committee of appropriate follow-up action on the issues and suggestions discussed during the meeting. The deliberations were aimed at improving the flow of institutional credit, addressing the challenges faced by MSMEs and strengthening the overall MSME ecosystem across the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.(KNS)