Data availability. There is no comprehensive, standardized, and updated database on the SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) sector that also includes cottage and micro enterprises. It is challenging to acquire reliable basic statistics, such as the number of SMEs and SME employment. The Sixth Five- Year Plan, 2011 - 2015 recognized the lack of data as a barrier to understanding the role of SMEs. In the absence of reliable key statistics, alternative inferential methods have been used extensively to assess the SMEDP's (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development Project) performance parameters. The change in the definition of SMEs, incompatible presentations of data by various agencies, and complex definitions have complicated the understanding of the SME sector and its contribution to the national economy.
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development Project