RBI Governor asks banks to treat MSMEs as growth partners

Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra Monday urged banks to step up and fundamentally change their approach towards micro, small and medium enterprises (), saying the sector should be treated as a long-term business partner rather than a regulatory obligation.

He was speaking in celebration of the International MSME Day 2026 in Kochi on Monday. He advised entrepreneurs ‘to take ownership of your growth by investing in technology, R&D and innovation as consumer preferences and expectations evolve.”

Malhotra said must invest in digital public infrastructure such as the Account Aggregator framework, Unified Lending Interface (ULI) and Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) to enable faster, data-driven and inclusive .

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He also called on lenders to accelerate implementation of schemes including priority sector lending, MUDRA and credit guarantee programmes.

He emphasised the need for a “reorientation” in how banks view MSMEs, with relationship-based lending, supported by digital data, playing a key role in expanding sustainable financing to the sector.