Monjita Sarkar 
The Chair of BRICS 2026, India is pushing for MSME cooperation under the BRICS Partnership on the New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR). During this tenure, the Ministry of MSME is tasked with convening three SME Working Group Meetings. India will also convene the inaugural edition of BRICS MSME Forum.
The 1st SME Working Group Meeting was held as a webinar organized on 24th April 2026 which fostered discourse on access to finance for MSMEs. The BRICS Member countries deliberated with emphasis on two themes “Bridging the MSME Credit Gap through Financial Inclusion, Literacy and Credit Readiness” and “Fintech-Driven Ecosystems: Expanding SME Credit and Seamless Global Trade Payments”. Discussions highlighted the critical role of MSMEs as key drivers of economic growth, employment generation, innovation, and inclusive development, and underscored the persistent challenges relating to timely access to credit. They agreed on the need for a multi-pronged approach to bridge the credit gap through financial inclusion and improved financial literacy and strengthening credit capacities of MSMEs.
Member countries also discussed strengthening institutional capacities, promoting innovative financing mechanisms and building a supportive ecosystem for MSME finance. Knowledge sharing of best practices, policy exchange among BRICS countries were also discussed.
