The Delayed Payments Crisis

Government and Banking Data Insights

Legal Framework and Ground Reality

Government Mechanisms and Bank Initiatives

Liquidity Challenges for MSmEs

Introduction of Guests and Their Organizations

C2FO's Role in Early Payment Solutions

GAME's Efforts in MSME Sector

Details of the Delayed Payments Report

Regulatory Gaps and Execution Issues

Public and Private Sector Bank Contributions

TReDS Platform and Its Adoption

Legal Recourse and Backlog Solutions

Future Outlook and Solutions

Why do small businesses still wait months to be paid, even when the law says 45 days?

In this episode of The Morning Brief, we examine one of the most persistent stress points in India’s MSME ecosystem: delayed payments. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Basant Kaur, Country Head of C2FO and Ramesh Dharmaji Senior advisor of the Global Alliance of Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) to unpack why payment backlogs—running into over 7.3 lakh crore rupees—continue despite legal mandates. The conversation moves from banking credit flows and risk appetite to the promise and pitfalls of platforms like TReDS, and why buyer participation remains the missing link. The episode also explores whether regulation alone is enough, or if behavioural change, digital infrastructure, and faster dispute resolution are equally critical. As MSMEs power jobs, exports, and growth, the discussion raises a timely question: can India fix its payment bottleneck before it chokes the very enterprises driving its economy?
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You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: X and Linkedin

Check out other interesting episodes from the host like
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Text-to-Theater? How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 1
How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2



Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.

Why do small businesses still wait months to be paid, even when the law says 45 days?
In this episode of The Morning Brief, we examine one of the most persistent stress points in India&rsquo;s MSME ecosystem: delayed payments. Host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with Basant Kaur, Country Head of C2FO and Ramesh Dharmaji Senior advisor of the Global Alliance of Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) to unpack why payment backlogs&mdash;running into over 7.3 lakh crore rupees&mdash;continue despite legal mandates. The conversation moves from banking credit flows and risk appetite to the promise and pitfalls of platforms like TReDS, and why buyer participation remains the missing link. The episode also explores whether regulation alone is enough, or if behavioural change, digital infrastructure, and faster dispute resolution are equally critical. As MSMEs power jobs, exports, and growth, the discussion raises a timely question: can India fix its payment bottleneck before it chokes the very enterprises driving its economy? Tune in You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: <a href="https://twitter.com/AnirbanET">X</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirban-chowdhury-b5067219/">Linkedin </a> Check out other interesting episodes from the host like <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/morning-brief-podcast/morning-brief-podcast-battle-beyond-borders/podcast/121052322.cms?from=mdr">Battle Beyond Borders </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/peace-perished-explaining-the-pahalgam-terror-attack/id1568661777?i=1000704659454">Peace Perished: Explaining the Pahalgam Terror Attack </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/corner-office-conversation-with-sridhar-vembu-ceo-of/id1568661777?i=1000731722016">Corner Office Conversation with Sridhar Vembu, CEO, of Zoho Corporation </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/rebel-foods-chief-on-building-brands-tech-and-an-ipo/id1568661777?i=1000733234302">Rebel Foods&rsquo; chief on Building Brands, Tech, and an IPO on the Horizon </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bookings-apac-chief-on-travel-trends-ai-and-loyalty/id1568661777?i=1000733062086">Booking&rsquo;s APAC Chief on Travel Trends, AI, and Loyalty </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/reliances-ai-playbook/id1568661777?i=1000727271857">Reliance&rsquo;s AI Playbook </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/text-to-theater-how-ai-is-rewriting-cinema-part-1/id1568661777?i=1000721880287">Text-to-Theater? How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 1 </a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-ai-is-rewriting-cinema-part-2/id1568661777?i=1000723806634">How AI is Rewriting Cinema Part 2 </a>
Catch the latest episode of &lsquo;The Morning Brief&rsquo; on <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/podcast?from=mdr">The Economic Times Online</a>,<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6PL5kfPbwURBEu6fHCVTOL?si=26ec0fbfa7134fea"> Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-morning-brief/id1568661777">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.jiosaavn.com/shows/the-morning-brief/1/GNPiFQD2xpY_">JioSaavn</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/f378141f-9afb-495d-83da-9b08ec5047ac/the-morning-brief">Amazon Music</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@theetpodcasts">Youtube</a>.

To make sense of the week’s hottest stories in business, economy, politics and markets, journalists from the Economic Times chat with reporters and industry leaders in this thrice-weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) podcast.

The Morning Brief

MSMEs and the 7.3 Trillion Rupee Payment Problem

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