9 Aug 2026

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 Passed by Parliament: A New Era for India’s MSME Sector

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A New Era for India’s MSME Sector

In a significant legislative development, the Indian Parliament has passed the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026, marking one of the most important reforms to the MSME ecosystem since the enactment of the MSMED Act, 2006. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on 3 August 2026 and subsequently approved by the Lok Sabha on 7 August 2026.

The amendment seeks to modernize the legal framework governing MSMEs, improve ease of doing business, address the chronic issue of delayed payments, strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms, and promote digital governance. Given that MSMEs contribute significantly to employment, manufacturing, exports, and economic growth, the reform is expected to have far-reaching implications for India’s business landscape.

Why the amendment was needed

The MSMED Act was enacted in 2006, and over the past two decades India’s business environment has undergone substantial transformation due to technological advancements, digitization, evolving market dynamics, and growing integration with global supply chains. The government recognized the need to update the Act to reflect these changes and provide stronger institutional support to millions of enterprises across the country.

One of the most pressing challenges faced by MSMEs has been the issue of delayed payments from buyers, which often creates severe liquidity constraints. The new Bill addresses this challenge through stricter timelines, enhanced enforcement provisions, and modern dispute resolution mechanisms.

Key Features of the Amendment Bill

  1. Revised MSME Classification Framework

The Bill empowers the Central Government to classify enterprises as MSMEs based on two criteria:

  • Investment in plant and machinery or equipment
  • Annual turnover

The thresholds will be notified by the government from time to time, providing flexibility to adapt to changing economic realities.

  1. Permanent Digital Registration Platform

The amendment institutionalizes the Udyam Registration Portal as a free, digital, and voluntary registration platform for MSMEs. State governments may also establish linked digital platforms to facilitate registration and access to government benefits.

This move is expected to promote formalization and simplify compliance for businesses across the country.

  1. Strengthening Delayed Payment Resolution

Perhaps the most impactful reform is the strengthening of mechanisms to address delayed payments.

The Bill introduces:

  • Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) systems.
  • Faster mediation and arbitration processes.
  • Stronger enforcement of awards and settlements.

These measures are intended to reduce litigation costs and improve access to justice for small businesses.

  1. Mandatory Timelines for Dispute Resolution

The amendment provides specific timelines for dispute resolution:

  • Mediation must be completed within 90 days from the date of first appearance.
  • If mediation fails, the matter must be referred to arbitration within 30 days.
  • The arbitral award must be delivered within 90 days after completion of pleadings.

Such timelines can significantly reduce delays that have historically burdened MSMEs.

  1. Enhanced Protection During Appeals

The Bill empowers courts to direct payment of at least 50% of the awarded amount to MSME suppliers when an application challenging the award remains pending for more than six months.

This provision is expected to improve liquidity and discourage frivolous delays by buyers.

  1. Recovery of Awards as Arrears of Land Revenue

To ensure effective enforcement, mediated settlements and arbitral awards can be recovered as arrears of land revenue through the District Collector, Deputy Commissioner, or other notified authorities where the buyer’s assets are located.

This provision strengthens the ability of MSMEs to realize their dues.

  1. Mandatory Use of TReDS by CPSEs

The Bill makes it mandatory for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) to route settlement of MSME invoices through the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform. Governments may also extend similar requirements to other public sector entities.

This measure can improve cash flow and provide faster access to working capital for MSMEs.

  1. Rationalization of Compliance Framework

The amendment also seeks to replace certain conviction-based penalties with graded civil penalties and administrative measures, thereby reducing regulatory burdens and promoting a more business-friendly environment.

Expected Impact on the MSME Sector

The amendment is expected to produce several positive outcomes:

Improved Cash Flow

Mandatory TReDS adoption and stronger payment enforcement can significantly reduce payment delays and improve working capital availability.

Faster Dispute Resolution

Defined mediation and arbitration timelines are likely to shorten dispute settlement cycles.

Greater Digital Adoption

The strengthened Udyam registration ecosystem and digital dispute resolution mechanisms support the government’s vision of digital governance.

Enhanced Investor Confidence

Clear legal protections and stronger enforcement mechanisms can encourage entrepreneurship and investment in the MSME sector.

Better Ease of Doing Business

Reduced compliance burdens and streamlined procedures can help MSMEs focus more on growth and innovation.

Challenges Ahead

While the amendments are promising, effective implementation will be critical. Success will depend on:

  • Adequate digital infrastructure.
  • Capacity building of Facilitation Councils.
  • Awareness among MSMEs about their rights and remedies.
  • Efficient coordination between central and state authorities.
  • Timely enforcement of dispute resolution timelines.

Without strong execution, the intended benefits may not fully materialize.

Conclusion

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 represents a landmark reform aimed at strengthening the backbone of India’s economy. By addressing delayed payments, promoting digital governance, streamlining dispute resolution, and enhancing liquidity for small businesses, the legislation seeks to create a more supportive and growth-oriented environment for MSMEs.

As India continues its journey toward becoming a global economic powerhouse, the successful implementation of these reforms could play a crucial role in unlocking the full potential of the MSME sector, fostering innovation, employment generation, and sustainable economic growth.

The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 passed by Parliament

 

20 Sep 2023

CBDT extends deadline for filing ITR return and submitting audit report.

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The government extended the date for filing income tax returns for companies by one month to November 30.

Income Tax Department has extended the deadline for ITR filing for certain categories of taxpayers. This has brought great relief to the taxpayers/institutions falling in these categories and they have also been saved from paying heavy penalties due to delay.

According to the Income Tax Department, till September 5, about 6.98 crore individual taxpayers have filed ITR.

The Income Tax Department has extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for charitable trusts, religious institutions and professional bodies by one month to November 30. The Income Tax Department said in a statement that the due date for filing income tax return in Form ITR-7 for the assessment year 2023-24, which is 31 October 2023, has been extended to 30 November 2023.

Also, the due date for submission of audit report for 2022-23 by any fund, trust, institution or any university or educational institution or medical institution in Form 10B/10BB has been extended by one month to 31 October 2023. Earlier the last date for submission of audit report was 30 September.

ITR-7 is filed by institutions involved in charitable and religious activities, research institutes, professional bodies, political parties and electoral trusts also file tax returns through ITR-7.

The Finance Ministry said in a statement on Monday, the deadline for filing income tax return in Form ITR-7 for the assessment year 2023-24 has been extended from October 31, 2023 to November 30, 2023.

In the current financial year, till mid-September, net direct tax collection has increased by 23.51% to Rs 8.65 lakh crore. The Finance Ministry said that there has been a huge increase in direct tax collection due to more advance tax payment by the companies. During this period, advance tax payment has increased by 21%.

According to the data, net tax collection has been 47.45% of the budget estimate of Rs 18.23 lakh crore for the current financial year. In the last financial year 2022-23, direct tax collection was Rs 16.61 lakh crore.

CBDT Circular: https://incometaxindia.gov.in/pages/communications/index.aspx

9 Sep 2021

ITR filing deadline for FY 2020-21 extended to December 31, 2021

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• This is the second time this financial year the government has extended the deadline of filing ITR for individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited. • The ITR filing deadline has been extended due to the many technical issues related to the government's newly launched tax filing portal. • The deadline of filing belated/revised ITR has been extended by two months to March 31, 2022.
• This is the second time this financial year the government has extended the deadline of filing ITR for individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited. • The ITR filing deadline has been extended due to the many technical issues related to the government’s newly launched tax filing portal. • The deadline of filing belated/revised ITR has been extended by two months to March 31, 2022.

The government on Thursday extended the deadline to file income tax return (ITR) for FY 2020-21 by 3 months to December 31, 2021 from September 30, 2021. The extension of the deadline is for those individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited and who usually file their income tax return using ITR-1 or ITR-4 forms, as applicable.

In a statement, the Finance Ministry said that the decision has been on consideration of difficulties reported by the taxpayers and other stakeholders in filing of Income Tax Returns and various reports of audit for the Assessment Year 2021-22 under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

The income tax return (ITR) filing deadline for FY 2020-21 for individuals has already been extended, from the normal deadline of July 31, 2021. However, the new income tax e-filing portal has been marred by glitches and other problems from inception. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has given Infosys, the company which set up the new income tax portal, time till September 15, 2021 to fix all the problems.

Last year too, the government has extended the due date of filing ITR for individuals four times – first from July 31 to November 30, 2020, then to December 31, 2020, and finally to January 10, 2021.

“On consideration of difficulties reported by the taxpayers in filing of Income Tax Returns(ITRs) & Audit reports for AY 2021-22 under the ITAct, 1961, CBDT further extends the due dates for filing of ITRs & Audit reports for AY 21-22. Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 issued,” I-T Department tweeted on Thursday.

The due date of furnishing of report of audit under any provision of the Act for the previous year 2020-21, has been extended to January 15, 2022.

The due date of furnishing report from an accountant by persons entering into international transaction or specified domestic transaction under section 92E of the Act for the previous year 2020-21, is now January 31, 2022.

Again, the IT Department has decided to extend the due date of furnishing of Return of Income for the AY 2021-22, to February 15, 2022, among several other extensions.

The due date of furnishing of Return of Income for the Assessment Year 2021-22, which was December 31, 2021 has also been extended to February 28, 2022.

The due date of furnishing of belated or revised return of Income for the AY 2021-22 has been further extended to March 31, 2022.

Missing the ITR filing deadline would have had penal consequences. A late filing fee of Rs 5,000 would be levied if the ITR is filed by an individual after the expiry of the deadline.

Do keep in mind that government has also extended the deadline of filing belated ITR by one month from new deadline of December 31, 2021, to January 31, 2022. If the ITR is not filed by January 31, 2022, then the individual will not be able to file ITR for FY 2020-21, unless a notice is issued by the income tax department.

A late filing fee of Rs 5,000 along with penal interest at the rate of 1 per cent per month will be levied on the non-payment of tax dues in this case.

CBDT Circular dated 09 September 2021

26 Mar 2021

New MCA rules make cryptocurrencies, benami, loan disclosures mandatory

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Starting April 1, companies must state if they have been declared wilful defaulters by banks, financial institutions or other lenders. The ministry also mandated companies to record audit trails of their accounts. Firms using accounting software to maintain their books need to use features that can record the audit trail of each transaction and create an edit log, including the date of such changes.

India Inc will have to declare investments in cryptocurrencies, relationships with dissolved companies and loans extended to related parties, among a host of other disclosures mandated by the government to improve transparency.

Starting April 1, companies must state if they have been declared wilful defaulters by banks, financial institutions or other lenders.

 The ministry of corporate affairs announced a new set of disclosures rules under the Companies Act on Wednesday, significantly enhancing financial and general reporting requirements for companies.

The ministry also mandated companies to record audit trails of their accounts. Firms using accounting software to maintain their books need to use features that can record the audit trail of each transaction and create an edit log, including the date of such changes.

Amending the Companies (Accounts) Rules, the ministry said firms must ensure the audit trail feature on the accounting software cannot be disabled. The move is aimed at curbing backdated entries and will affect mainly smaller companies as the bigger ones already use such software, according to Shalu Kedia, a partner at Nangia & Co.

Additional disclosures to be made under schedule III of the Companies Act, 2013, relate to matters such as corporate social responsibility spending, cryptocurrency dealings, benami property, relationship with struck-off, or dissolved, companies, and ageing of payables & receivables with vendors.

These disclosures will make it easier for the government to track non-compliance and take action against defaulting companies, experts said.

“Earlier, the companies were only required to disclose trade payables and receivables, but there was no requirement to provide ageing details. This disclosure will mandate the company to disclose the ageing payment cycle for MSMEs and non-MSME vendors,” said Nischal Arora, a partner at Nangia Andersen LLP.

Dealings in cryptocurrencies must be disclosed with details of the profit or loss on such transactions, amounts of such currency held and deposits or advances from any person for trading or investing in these currencies.

“While the government is already working on a bill on cryptocurrency, the disclosure for such currency has made it clear that the government wants to gather data on cryptocurrency,” said Arora.

Another important change was related to the disclosure of any benami property holdings.

“This disclosure is another step to improve transparency for the stakeholders as they will have to disclose any proceeding that has been initiated or pending against the company for holding any benami property and also provide a reasoning and view on the same,” said Amit Maheshwari, a partner at AKM Global.

The additional disclosures will make it mandatory for companies to provide details of shortfall in CSR spending for the previous years, including reasons for not meeting targets.

Loans granted to promoters, directors and related parties that are repayable on demand or without specific repayment terms from companies must be declared in terms of amount and percentage to total loans granted.

While this will push firms to regularly service their loans, it “will be helpful for the investor and other lenders to be aware about these types of companies before making any investment or lending the money,” Maheshwari said.

Schedule III Amendment Notification_24032021

Source: Economic Times

29 Jan 2021

Companies get relaxation for Annual Filings of 2019-20 upto 15/02/2021 without additional fees.

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MCA relaxes levy of additional fees in filing of e-forms AOC-4, AOC-4 (CFS), AOC-4 XBRL and AOC-4 Non-XBRL for the financial year ended on 31.03.2020 under the Companies Act, 2013

Keeping in view of various requests received from stakeholders regarding relaxation on levy of additional fees for annual financial statement filings required to be done for the financial year ended on 31.03.2020, it has been decided that no additional fees shall be levied upto 15.02.2021 for the filing of e-forms AOC-4, AOC-4 (CFS), AOC-4 XBRL and AQC-4 Non-XBRL in respect of the financial year ended on 31.03.2020.

During the said period, only normal fees shall be payable for the filing of the aforementioned e-forms.

Earlier, the Annual General Meeting for adoption of the Audited Financial Statements, Directors Report and Auditors’ Report was extended by 3 months from September 30 to December 30, 2020.

Accordingly, the companies were required file Audited Financial Statements before January 31st, 2021.

This has now been further relaxed for another 15 days up to February 15, 2021, for filing of the eForms with Ministry of Corporate affairs (MCA).

Read the MCA Circular for waiver of Additional Fees

11 Jan 2021

RBI removes Cooling Period for Bank Branch Audit for CAs

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The RBI notified Rotation Policy instead of Cooling Period for Bank Branch Audit for CAs.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notified the change in norms on eligibility, empanelment, the appointment of Statutory Branch Auditors in Public Sector Banks from years 2020-21 onwards.


The RBI notified Rotation Policy instead of Cooling Period for Bank Branch Audit for CAs. In other words, the concept of compulsory rest for two years for audit firms located in the specified centres, after completion of four years of continuous branch audit, followed till Financial Year 2019-20 has been done away with.

Instead, the branch auditors across all the centres of the country, on completion of four years of continuous branch audit, will be subjected to the policy of rotation i.e. they may be considered for appointment as SBAs of any other PSB.

However, the audit firms will not be eligible to be re-appointed as SBAs, in the same bank where they completed their audit assignment prior to rest/rotation, at least for one cycle of four years.

The RBI further notified the change on norms for selection of branches of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) for Statutory Audit.

Firstly, statutory branch audit of PSBs should be carried out so as to cover 90% of all funded and 90% of all non-funded credit exposures of a bank.

The selection of branches for statutory audit shall include a representative cross section of rural/semi-urban/urban and metropolitan branches, predominantly including branches which are not subjected to concurrent audit.

CPUs/LPUs/and other centralised hubs, by whatever nomenclature called, would be included for branch audit every year.

The selection of branches shall be finalised by each PSB with the consent of their Statutory Central Auditor/s. Secondly, in respect of those branches, which are subject to concurrent audit by chartered accountants and not selected for branch audit, LFARs and other certifications done by concurrent auditors will be submitted to the Managing Director & CEO of the bank.

The banks in turn will consolidate/compile all such LFARs and other certifications submitted by the Concurrent Auditors and submit to Statutory Central Auditor/s as an internal document of the bank.

The RBI notified the change in the procedure for appointment of Statutory Branch Auditors.

Firstly, the list of eligible auditors/audit firms will be prepared by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) as per the norms prescribed by RBI.

Secondly, the list will be subjected to scrutiny by RBI for identifying the continuing and rested firms and excluding audit firms who have been denied audit.

Thirdly, RBI will, thereafter, forward the final list of all eligible auditors/audit firms to PSBs for selection of the required number of branch auditors/audit firms.

Banks will be required to clearly advise the selected audit firms that each audit firm can take up audit assignments (branch audit) in one PSB only. The audit firm should give its consent in writing for consideration of appointment in the bank concerned for the particular year and the subsequent continuing years.

Fourthly, the consent given by an audit firm is irrevocable and no request from audit firms for changing the bank, after giving its consent will be entertained.

Fifthly, after the selection of branch auditors, PSBs will be required to recommend the names of both continuing and selected branch auditors to RBI for seeking its prior approval before their actual appointment, as per statutory requirement.

The RBI while elaboration on the change in general guidelines applicable to appointment of Statutory Branch Auditors stated that SBAs will have a maximum tenure of four years in a particular bank.

The appointment of SBAs will be made on an annual basis, subject to their fulfilling the eligibility norms prescribed by RBI from time to time, and also subject to their suitability.

“While allotting branches, banks are required to select auditors/audit firms which are in close proximity to their offices/branches. Banks are also required to have a suitable mix of various categories of auditors / audit firms while selecting the branch auditors keeping in view the size of the branches to be audited.

Banks are advised to allot branches, to the extent possible, to the audit firms taking into consideration their category and audit experience in such a way that specialised and larger branches are audited by bigger/experienced audit firms,” the RBI said.

The audit firms retiring as Statutory Central Auditors from a PSB shall not be eligible to be appointed as SBAs of the same PSB during the prescribed cooling period for SCAs from that particular PSB.

The RBI notified change in the eligibility norms for the empanelment of audit firms to be appointed as Statutory Branch Auditors in PSBs.

Read the original RBI Notification: Norms on eligibility, empanelment and appointment of Statutory Branch Auditors in Public Sector Banks from the year 2020-21 and onwards

26 Nov 2020

Income Tax department to reject tax audit reports filed without ICAI authentication

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The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, in its gazette notification had made the generation of UDIN from the ICAI website mandatory for every kind of certificate/tax audit report and other attests made by their members as required by various regulators. This was introduced to curb fake certifications by non-CAs misrepresenting themselves as Chartered Accountants

The income tax department will validate with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) the unique document identification number (UDIN) of chartered accountants when they upload tax audit reports, the finance ministry said on Thursday.

To curb fake certifications by non-CAs misrepresenting themselves as chartered accountants, the ICAI in 2019 made generation of UDIN from the ICAI website mandatory for every kind of certificate and tax audit report and other attests made by their members as required by various regulators.

The ministry said that in line with the ongoing initiatives of the income tax department for integrating with other government agencies and bodies, income-tax e-filing portal has completed its integration with the ICAI portal for validation of UDIN generated from the ICAI portal by the chartered accountants for documents certified/attested by them.

Income-tax e-filing portal had already factored mandatory quoting of UDIN with effect from April 27, 2020, for documents certified/attested in compliance with the Income Tax Act,1961 by a chartered accountant.

“With this system level integration, UDIN provided for the audit reports/certificates submitted by the chartered accountants in the e-filing portal shall be validated online with the ICAI,” the ministry added.

It said this will help in weeding out fake or incorrect tax audit reports not duly authenticated with the ICAI.

If a chartered accountant was not able to generate UDIN before submission of audit report or certificate, the e-filing portal permits such submission, subject to the CA updating the UDIN within 5 calendar days from the date of form submission in the income tax e-filing portal.

If the UDIN for the audit report/certificate is not updated within the 15 days, such audit report and certificate uploaded shall be treated as invalid submission, the ministry added.