New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday chaired the third pre-Budget consultation with stakeholders from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The meeting was in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27, according to a Finance Ministry statement.

“Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs @nsitharaman chairs the third Pre-Budget Consultation with the stakeholders from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises #MSMEs in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi, today,” the Ministry said in an X post.

The meeting was also attended by Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, and senior officials from the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Sitharaman earlier chaired the pre-Budget consultation meeting with representatives from farmer associations and agricultural economists ahead of the General Budget 2026-27.

According to an Assocham report published on Wednesday, digitised and time-bound single window clearances can be a game-changer in improving the investment climate for MSMEs across states.

The report called for accelerated reforms aimed at simplifying business regulations, improving approval systems and supporting the growth of India’s MSMEs. At the national level, the report proposes a single, consolidated annual MSME compliance form combining multiple filings. It also suggests introducing biennial or triennial filing cycles for registered MSMEs to ease compliance under the Companies Act.

On Monday, FM Sitharaman held the first pre-Budget consultations with leading economists. The meeting was attended by Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran, besides other economists and senior officers from the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).

As part of the ongoing pre-budget consultations, the government has been holding a series of meetings with industry representatives to gather input for the upcoming Union Budget. The discussions are centred on enhancing the ease of doing business and extending tax benefits to the last mile. The government is expected to continue engaging with various industry bodies in the coming weeks before finalising its proposals for the Union Budget.

–IANS

na/vd