Impact of Covid-19 on Indian MSMEs

This report investigates Covid-19’s long- and short-term effects, as well as the numerous full, prolonged, or partial lockdowns that followed it. The goal of the study is to determine how Covid-19 has affected the Indian economy overall and the MSME sector. The evaluation is based on a thorough analysis of all the relevant research papers, reports, articles, and interviews with renowned subject-matter experts that are currently accessible. Data were gathered over the course of two rounds of interviews, the first round using an online questionnaire and the second using a phone. Physical face-to-face interaction was prohibited due to the stringent lockdown regulations across many areas of the country. Online surveys provide speedy data collection. They do, however, have a serious disadvantage. People who have access to and a working knowledge of technology are encouraged to do the online surveys. Because of this, the replies frequently do not accurately reflect Indian MSME owners. To counteract this prejudice, the authors and an MSME consultant contacted company owners in their network who worked in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, export/import, services, trading, and retail. Telephonic rounds in the respondents’ native language were also used to further address the inherent problem with internet surveys.