MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES FORM THE BACKBONE OF INDIA’S INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY: ECONOMIC SURVEY 2025-26

• The Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 29 Jan 2026, declares MSMEs the backbone of India's industrial economy, contributing 31.1% of GDP, 35.4% of manufacturing, and 48.58% of exports.
• MSMEs are the second-largest employer after agriculture, with 7.47 crore enterprises employing 32.82 crore persons.
• Critical UPSC node: links Atmanirbhar Bharat, Viksit Bharat@2047, industrial credit, GVC integration, and job-rich industrialisation.