Small and medium enterprise in India: problems, marketing and distribution strategies

SMEs are important to almost all nations under the Sun and developing nation is not the exception or otherwise, would be described as ‘missing middle’. Sustainable entrepreneurship is incomplete and partial without being given a standing ovation of the small and medium enterprises as engines of inclusive growth and development. In India the product mix of SMEs range over 6000 products from traditional to non-traditional products; food to chemical; basic metal to non-metal products and others like, electrical, machinery parts, rubber and plastics products etc,. Undoubtedly, SMEs in India is seen as sheer engine to employment generation contributing major share of industrial production and obsidian of indomitable entrepreneurial spirit among nationwide entrepreneurs. This sector has exhibited unswerving and higher growth rate than the rest in the industrial realm. Moreover, SMEs have greater resource use efficiency, employment generation capacity, room for technological innovation, inter – sectoral linkages over and above raising exports and entrepreneurial skills and its greatest strength lies in locational flexibility- a tool for conquest over regional imbalances.

This paper endeavor to give general overview of major problems of SMEs in India. Moreover, it also makes an attempt to address current marketing and distribution strategies of SMEs in India.