If you are a micro, small, or medium enterprise (MSME) owner in India, you must have come across the term ‘Udyog Aadhaar’. It is an essential registration that every MSME must obtain to avail themselves of various benefits. These include easy access to credit, tax exemptions, and government schemes and subsidies.
What is Udyog Aadhaar?
The Udyog Aadhaar Number is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. It simplifies the registration process for MSMEs, enabling them to access various government benefits, including subsidies, financial assistance, and tax exemptions. Business owners who complete the registration receive an Udyog Aadhaar certificate, which serves as official recognition of their enterprise. This process is commonly referred to as MSME registration.
What was the purpose of launching Udyog Aadhaar?
Udyog Aadhaar was introduced in India in September 2015 to simplify the registration process for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Before its implementation, business owners had to undergo a lengthy, paper-intensive registration process, requiring separate registrations for small industries and MSMEs. The introduction of Udyog Aadhaar streamlined the procedure, making it more efficient and accessible for entrepreneurs by reducing paperwork and combining multiple registrations into a single process.
Features of the Udyog Aadhar for MSMEs
These are the key features of Udyog Aadhaar registration, also known as Udyam registration, for MSMEs:
- The registration process is completely online, eliminating the need for physical paperwork
- There is no fee required to register an MSME on the Udyam portal
- MSMEs are classified based on their investment in plant and machinery, making identification more precise
- The registration requires filling out a single form that captures all relevant details, simplifying the process for business owners
- The Udyam portal maintains a dynamic and updated database of MSMEs in India, which can be utilised by policymakers, researchers, and businesses
Benefits of Udyog Aadhaar
Listed below are some benefits of Udyog Aadhaar registration:
- Enables businesses to obtain bank loans without the need for collateral or mortgage
- Provides eligibility for government subsidies and financial support schemes
- Offers tax exemptions on direct taxes for registered MSMEs
- Allows businesses to avail loans at lower interest rates
- Grants a 50% subsidy for patent registration costs
- Facilitates reimbursement of expenses for ISO certification
- Simplifies the process of obtaining licences, approvals, and other business registrations
- Provides concessions on electricity bills and other utility expenses
- Makes it easier and faster to open current bank accounts for businesses
- Offers subsidies for barcode registration
- Supports businesses in the manufacturing and production sectors through dedicated policies
- Provides Octroi benefits under the Package Scheme of Incentives, 1993
- Ensures protection against delayed payments from buyers
- Offers subsidies on NSIC performance and credit ratings for MSME-registered businesses
What is the Udyog Aadhaar certificate?
The government launched Udyog Aadhaar in September 2015 as a way for MSMEs to register with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). It replaced the earlier system of Entrepreneurship Memorandum (EM) Part-I and Part-II, which required significant paperwork as a part of the registration process. However, the Udyog Aadhaar registration process was comparatively simpler and upon its completion, registered MSMEs got an Udyog Aadhaar certificate containing a 12-digit unique identification number.
How to download Udyog Aadhaar certificate?
July 2020 saw the revision of the Udyog Aadhaar to Udyam registration. All enterprises having the Udyog Aadhaar certificate had to re-register and migrate to the new programme via the Udyam registration portal to obtain the Udyam registration certificate by March 31, 2021.
Udyog Aadhaar for MSME
The Udyog Aadhaar certificate was vital for MSMEs in India because of the numerous benefits that it provided for their growth and development. These benefits continue to be accessible via the new, user-friendly Udyam registration. Some of these benefits include:
Access to collateral-free loans from banks and financial institutions at low interest rates.
Access to government subsidies, incentives and schemes, which can help reduce operating costs and increase profitability.
Protection against delayed payments.
Concession on electricity bills.
Extended tax benefits.
Additional help in procuring government tenders.
Udyog Aadhaar registration process
Enterprises with Udyog Aadhaar certificates and new MSMEs must obtain an Udyam registration certificate, which is now mandatory for all MSMEs.
New MSMEs can easily register online on the official government portal free of cost and download the Udyam registration certificate by following these steps:
1. Go to https://udyamregistration.gov.in/.
2. Click on ‘For new entrepreneurs who are not registered yet as MSME or those with EM-II’.
3. Enter the Aadhaar number and the name of the entrepreneur. Then click on ‘Validate & generate OTP’.
4. Enter the OTP received on the registered mobile number and click on ‘Validate’.
5. Fill in the required details about the enterprise, such as its name, type of organisation, PAN, and location.
6. Provide the bank account details of the enterprise, including bank account number and IFSC code.
7. Add information about the primary business activity of the enterprise, including its NIC code.
8. Verify that the information provided is accurate and complete before clicking on ‘Submit’.
9. Check your registered e-mail address and mobile number for the generated Udyam registration number (URN).
10. Download the e-certificate or Udyam registration certificate from the Udyam registration portal using the URN.
