Ease of Visa, Vital for MSMEs

Whilst travelling abroad is an adrenaline-charged experience, be it virtually or physically. But the woes attached to it are nerve-racking especially for MSMEs, who are the backbone of country.

As the Finance Ministry proposes to rationalize the MSME schemes, we can’t overlook the limitations of Indian passport. India lags significantly behind its contemporaries in International mobility and so are our MSME delegations. For the small businesses who are planning to travel to EU countries specially, it’s mandatory for them to look out for visa friends, so as to receive their visa on time or if they don’t want any miscellaneous reasons for rejection.

Although, The Ministry of MSME has entered into long term agreements, Memorandum of Understanding/Joint Action Plan with 18 countries viz., Tunisia, Romania, Rwanda, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Lesotho, Vietnam, Mauritius, Sweden to name a few but some key countries are still missing. It’s high time that the ministry take rejig on their policies and MOUs, as even there is declining share of MSMEs in India’s total export.

Even the recently released Henley Passport Index reports are quite alarming which says, India has slipped one rank down from last year to 83rd. The index ranks 199 nations based on the strength of their passports, and in 2024, France has topped the list, as its passport provides visa-free access to 194 countries but not India.

With visa-free access to just 58 countries. The Indian passport ranking is admittedly weak compared to the world’s most powerful passports. This is a testament to the diplomatic relations our country have established and maintained with countries worldwide. Presumably, the consistently improving global relations may take our nation to stronger passport rankings with every passing year??

Although there have been revised visa guidelines from MSME industry where documents required at application stage and claim stage has been reduced significantly but this 45day hitch makes it very cumbersome and ambiguous. Notability, the power of a passport is not only a reflection of the identity and nationality of its holder but also a tool that can provide access to global opportunities, ease of doing business, freedom of movement, and an enhanced quality of life.