Collateral Unavailability is plaguing the backbone of India’s Economy – MSMEs: The Rizing Equality Entrepreneurship Forum In Hyderabad

RizingTV, an entrepreneurial information network that explores the business, finance and technology realms, partnered with the CGTMSE (The Credit Guarantee fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises) – which was jointly formed by the Government of India, the Ministry of MSME and SIBDI – to curate The Rizing Equality Entrepreneurship Forum – The Hyderabad Chapter.

Following the resounding successes of the Rizing Equality Summit in Mumbai in February 2024 and The Rizing Equality Entrepreneurship Forum – The Delhi Chapter in Delhi in July 2024, RizingTV decided to have the next pit stop of its series in a city looking to become India's AI capital: Hyderabad, marking the third event of this series. RizingTV will continue to extend this series across India to foster smart and meaningful discussions nationwide. The Hyderabad Chapter gathered a mix of founders, tech entrepreneurs, investors, MSME and startup professionals & other stakeholders.

The underlying premise of this event was to explore the key role that MSMEs and startups play as the unsung heroes of growth, innovation and job creation in India. The agenda of The Hyderabad Chapter featured sessions that included an entrepreneurial resilience panel, an AI panel, a fundraising panel, a speaker talk by CGTMSE and a legal workshop by Khaitan & Co.

Prominent speakers included MSRK Murthy of the CGTMSE, Udayarkar Rangarajan and Aniruddha Basu of Khaitan & Co, Ashwani Singh of 35North Ventures, Arvind Modi of Sathguru Catalyser Fund, Deepak MV of OpenPlay Technologies, Namit Agarwal of Omega Healthcare Management Services, Raj Samala of Pushpak.ai and more.

A special mentorship pitch session at The Hyderabad Chapter allowed MSMEs/startups to present their business plans, with the ability to be eligible for collateral-free loan guarantees from the CGTMSE.

According to Manish Sinha, CEO of the CGTMSE, “One of the major challenges faced by MSEs, when starting their ventures, is the lack of collateral, which has, increasingly, become a significant barrier for bankers in offering loans to them. Recognizing this, the Credit Guarantee fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) is stepping in to support MSEs. Through its credit guarantee scheme, the CGTMSE is providing 75% to 85% of guarantee coverage to lenders, mitigating the need for collateral security and making access to finance easier for MSEs”.

The CGTMSE aims to catalyze the flow of institutional credit to MSEs, augmenting credit delivery systems and broadening finance access to include the underserved and the underprivileged & bolster availability of finance from conventional lenders to new-gen entrepreneurs. Since its inception, the CGTMSE is said to have been instrumental in providing guarantee cover to collateral and/or third-party guarantee-free credit facilities extended by eligible Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) to MSEs.

Udayarkar Rangarajan, Partner at Khaitan & Co, remarks, “India has witnessed a revolution with new-age businesses, startups and MSMEs reshaping the economy. These agile and resilient enterprises excel in navigating a constantly evolving business landscape, adapting quickly to new challenges and opportunities. At the same time, they must remain cognizant of impending challenges around entrepreneurship, such as understanding the complex regulatory ecosystem, safeguarding intellectual property and ensuring comprehensive documentation. It is also crucial to plan ahead and account for emerging regulations related to ESG, as well as the intricacies of funding through mechanisms like convertible notes”.

Khaitan & Co is a top-tier and full-service law firm with over 1000 legal professionals, including 270+ leaders & a presence in India and Singapore. With more than a century of experience in practicing law, they offer end-to-end legal solutions in diverse practice areas to their clients across the world. They have a team of highly motivated and dynamic professionals, delivering outstanding client service and expert legal advice across a wide gamut of sectors and industries.

RizingTV is a new-age and inclusive entrepreneurial information network that aims to be the true mirror reflecting Indian business, finance and technology in the expanse of not just Asia, but also, the global stage. Crafted for the intellectually curious, it explores the tenets that could help India become a $5 trillion economy: capital, innovation, technology, ESG, sustainability, policy and more.

RizingTV was founded by Shrija Agrawal, who has been named one of India's Top 100 Women In Finance in India and who has, previously, played pivotal roles at VCCircle, Hindustan Times and LiveMint. With 14 years of experience tracking the private markets, she’s, now, embarking on a journey to shape the future of information with her own venture: RizingTV, an inclusive organization looking to unpack the intricacies of business, finance, tech and private markets in a meaningful and compelling manner that's committed to celebrated diversity and equality.

“If India wants to become a $5 trillion economy by 2027, the MSME sector could turbocharge that ambition”, quips Agrawal.