MSME hub, temple town sound bells ahead of polls

On the outskirts of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (erstwhile Aurangabad) in Maharashtra, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) industry is facing simmering challenges such as systemic corruption, and a lack of political will to attract foreign investment.

- AJINKYA KAWALE

MSMEs in Waluj claim that these challenges, from the pandemic times, are capable of breaking the backbone of the sector here.

A manufacturer based in the (Maharashtra Development Waluj MIDC Industrial Corporation) region, specialising in farm equipment for export to Europe, asserts that systemic corruption contributes to financial losses and operational delays in their business.

"Despite our consignment getting approved for export, an officer at the port in Mumbai alleged that the material used to manufacture our equipment was sub par. However, the client we were exporting to had given a nod to the consignment before. I was asked to pay ₹90,000 for approving the consignment," the 50-year-old told OTHE UND Business Standard.

Exporters say that rampant instances of systemic corruption India's dent MSME sector that is striving to carve a niche for itself in the growing export market.

In India, MSME exports shot up to $125.5 billion in 2023, a 42 per cent increase from $88.3 billion in 2021.

MSMEs registered in Maharashtra alone export goods worth $24.2 billion, second only to Gujarat, whose exports stand at $26.1 billion. Waluj is one of the major MSME zones in Maharashtra.

Situated just 15 km from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, it is home to a thriving industry.