Hong Kong-based market research agency, Radar Global, has launched a new quarterly sentiment index of business confidence, economic outlook and bank reputations amongst micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in seven emerging markets: China, Egypt, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and UAE.

Indian SME Business Confidence is down

Business Standard

Representatives of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have asked Finance Minister P Chidambaram to set up a committee to monitor whether such enterprises are benefitting from the directives issued periodically to banks by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to the effect that ample credit must be made available to them at moderate interest rates.

MSME sector seeks panel to monitor credit flow 

We have let out one of our industrial properties on rent to a unit registered under the Software Technology Park (STP) scheme. The tenant claims that they are exempt from paying service tax, as they are working in a customs bonded premises.

'Property rented to industrial units outside SEZ not exempt from service tax'

To boost the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Uttar Pradesh, the state government will launch a business portal for MSMEs, upload a district-wise MSME database and revitalise the state&rsquo;s financial institutions.

UP to launch MSME business portal

The small and medium enterprise sector in India is set to undergo a transformation, as women increasingly take to entrepreneurship. And realising the need to upgrade their managerial skills to accomplish the multi-tasking required of a small-scale entrepreneur, women entrepreneurs are also taking the help of mentoring programmes from B-schools and marquee names in the business world.

Goldman Sachs, ISB mentor women entrepreneurs

Crisil pioneered the concept of ratings for the SME sector in India and launched it in 2005.In just seven years it has completed more than 30,000 SME ratings. Sachin Nigam, Senior Director, Crisil Ratings, tells Rajiv Shirali in an e-mail interview that many rated SMEs have used the ratings as a stepping stone to move to the level of mid-sized companies.

Ratings drive the entire SME ecosystem towards higher levels of transparency: Sachin Nigam

The Rajkot-based auto component industry, which was doing well last year, has hit multiple road blocks &mdash; rupee depreciation, high interest rates and high petrol prices.

Auto component makers hit roadblock amid slowdown

To boost entrepreneurship and provide working capital to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), the Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) has reoriented its business model.

Sidbi to mentor budding small entrepreneurs

After striking an alliance with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) to guide small and medium entrepreneurs on using the internet to expand their business, social media giant Facebook plans to launch roadshows in six major cities as part of its &ldquo;SMB Boost&rdquo; programme.

Facebook, Ficci to campaign in six cities to woo SMEs

We are a merchant exporter. Our supplier is an importer. We have bought the imported material from them and are planning to export the same. Since we do not have Central Excise registration we requested the supplier to accept CT-1 bond and relieve us from the excise duty, to be competitive. Our supplier has Central Excise registration and says he cannot do that and cannot do it under ARE-1 too.

Excise duty is not payable if imported goods are re-exported

The Union ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises is planning to fashion an entrepreneurship policy to support entrepreneurial activities in the MSME sector in India.

MSME ministry mulls entrepreneurship policy

Domain name registrar and web hosting provider Go Daddy is an operator in the space of domain names, website building and eCommerce solutions. Founded in 1997 in Arizona, it has has been offering .in domain names for Indian businesses since 2009, but now has a presence on the ground in India, and has identified India as a priority market. Pravda Godbole spoke to its new Managing Director for India, Rajiv Sodhi.

India is a country positioned for rapid Internet adoption: Rajiv Sodhi

Yogesh Sagar, owner of a small company in Mohali that supplies components to tractor manufacturers, recently added scaffolding and formworks units to supplement his business, because tractor manufacturers were not giving him sufficient business.

Vendors plan investments as tractor sales pick up

Uttarakhand&rsquo;s handicrafts are set for a makeover, thanks to a project that will help design new products but also enhance the skills of artisans.

New U'khand handicrafts on the cards

Fresh rasagullas made by a woman from rural Rajasthan, on the shelves of Walmart&rsquo;s retail outlets outside India? Well, this may soon become reality, since Bharti Walmart, the joint venture (JV) between Bharti Enterprises and Walmart Stores Inc, is creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs in India to go global.

Bharti Walmart to step up sourcing from women

I refer to your reply to the question (in BS dated 1st May 2012) regarding payment of 6 per cent under Rule 6(3)(i) of Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 (CCR) for clearance of Synthetic yarn (chapter 52 &amp; 55) when the benefit of exemption notification no. 30/2004-CE dated 9.7.2004 is also being availed.

'Drawback can be claimed if imported goods are re-exported'

Dark clouds are hovering over the dyes and intermediate industry in Gujarat, with overseas buyers going slow on fresh purchases. With exports generating more than 70 per cent of revenues, a sharp fall in the overseas demand has prompted dye manufacturers to halve their operational capacities.

Dye units' growth slumps as exports turn weak

The hand tools manufacturers in Punjab are pinning hope over setting up of the state-of-the-art socket wrench manufacturing unit and a continuous bright hardening and tempering plant at a common facility centre (CFC) called &lsquo;The Institute for Auto &amp; Hand Tool Technology&rsquo;, Ludhiana. The facility will enable the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to get their work outsourced and also assist them in the adoption of newer technologies. Trial run has been done and the commercial production is likely to be started soon.

With CFC, sunny  days ahead for Punjab hand tool makers

Following the shut-down since 18 July of the Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki Industries Limited (MSIL), which has a capacity of assembling 2,500 passenger vehicles per day, the functioning of hundreds of vendors has been thrown out of gear.

Maruti lockout disrupts vendors' functioning

India&rsquo;s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have sought to tackle mounting inflationary pressure with funds from their own sources. This is the finding of a recent study conducted by Crisil on the working capital funding patterns of 3000 SMEs.

SMEs combat inflation with own funds: Crisil

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has rated West Bengal as the highest employment generating state in the small and medium enterprises sector in the country.

Bengal leading job creator in SME sector

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