Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a package of initiatives by the Small Industries Development Bank of India during the institution's 37th Foundation Day in Mumbai. The measures are intended to improve access to finance, technology and market support for micro, small and medium enterprises. The announcements included a co-lending portal with regional rural banks, a digital machinery marketplace, a rural modernisation programme and a credit card scheme for micro enterprises.

The RRB Co-Lending Portal will enable SIDBI to partner with Regional Rural Banks to extend credit into rural and underserved areas, while MachFin Mart is described as a digital marketplace to facilitate price discovery, standardisation and embedded loan approvals for machinery purchases. The marketplace aims to make equipment acquisition simpler and to support faster loan delivery through digital workflows. These tools are intended to strengthen credit access and delivery efficiency across the sector.

The Modernisation of Rural Enterprises programme aims to support 10,000 rural micro and artisanal enterprises over the next three years through cluster-based interventions. The Department of Financial Services introduced a credit card scheme to provide working capital of up to Rs 0.5 million (mn) to Udyam-registered micro enterprises for quicker access to funds. The government has also provided a Rs 50 billion (bn) capital infusion into SIDBI to bolster its capacity as a market maker in MSME finance.

SIDBI leadership said the initiatives mark progress toward transforming MSME financing through digital tools and partnerships, with a focus on improving credit access, delivery efficiency and technology adoption. Officials highlighted the role of SIDBI in modernising rural enterprises to increase competitiveness and productivity. Established in 1990, SIDBI continues to support MSMEs in India through credit and development programmes.