Port Blair/Raipur . Raipur MP and senior BJP leader Brijmohan Agrawal attended a meeting of the Lok Sabha's Estimates Committee in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on Saturday. The meeting focused on the role of banks in promoting the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) sector. The meeting

reviewed the effectiveness of banking support in various regions of the country, especially in states like Chhattisgarh, which have immense industrial and entrepreneurial potential.In the meeting, MP Brijmohan Agrawal gave clear suggestions to the banks, saying that MSME is the backbone of India's economy, and if banks adopt a pro-active approach in states like Chhattisgarh, local youth, artisans and small traders can be made self-reliant. He suggested to the banks that excessive formalities should be avoided while giving loans to first generation entrepreneurs. Startups, service sector, research based enterprises and new age businesses should be accepted as MSME. Timely loans should be made available to eligible beneficiaries under schemes like PM Vishwakarma, PM Mudra. MP Brijmohan Agrawal said, "There is no shortage of talent and resources in regions like Chhattisgarh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. All that is needed is a positive approach from banks and a balanced policy. Inclusive development is possible only by giving equal importance to both large industries and the MSME sector."The meeting recommended improving the credit-to-deposit (CD) ratio, tailoring loan products to local needs, and enhancing branch-level decision-making in rural and semi-urban areas, especially in states like Chhattisgarh. According to data presented to the committee, the CD ratio in Andaman and Nicobar Islands has increased from 52.15% in 2020-21 to 59.65% in 2024-25. Referring to this progress, MP Brijmohan said Chhattisgarh also needs to similarly accelerate banking coverage and credit flow to truly benefit the MSME sector.

It was also suggested in the meeting that under the PM Mudra Yojana, unsecured loans of up to ₹20 lakh should be made available to micro and small non-corporate businesses in all sectors such as event management, consultancy, beauty-makeup, professional services, etc. with a simplified process. MP Brijmohan said that, to realize Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Developed India 2047', banks will have to play an active role at the ground level, not just limit themselves to statistics, so that new opportunities for economic development and employment can be created in the entire country including Chhattisgarh.