Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises organised a round‑table discussion with central public sector enterprises (CPSE) to increase purchases from SC/ST micro and small enterprises. The meeting was held on 5 November 2026 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Mercy Ipaos, Joint Secretary of the MSME Ministry. In addition to the GEM, Chief Executive Officer Mr. Ajit Chavan, Chairman and Joint Managing Director of NSIC Dr. S.S. Acharya and senior officials from various departments participated.
Discussion and key points
A total of 30 CPSEs, including BHEL, NTPC and Coal India Limited, took part in the discussion. The main aim was to review the CPSEs’ position on the 4% mandatory purchase target from SC/ST MSMEs under the public procurement policy.
Ms. Mercy Ipaos said that since the launch of the National SC‑ST Hub Scheme, public procurement from SC/ST MSMEs has risen more than 36‑fold up to FY 2025‑26. She urged CPSEs to prepare an internal action plan to achieve their targets.