Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman discussed over the third pre-budget engagement with micro, small, and medium-sized business (MSME) stakeholders on Wednesday.

A statement from the Finance Ministry said that the discussion was related to the upcoming Union Budget 2026–2027.

“Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs @nsitharaman chairs the third Pre-Budget Consultation with the stakeholders from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises #MSMEs in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi, today,” stated the Ministry in a post on X.

Senior representatives from the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises as well as Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary also attended the meeting.

Prior to the General Budget 2026–2027, Sitharaman presided over a pre-Budget consultation conference with members from agricultural economists and farmer associations.

Digitized and time-bound single window approvals have the potential to significantly improve the investment climate for MSMEs across states, according to an Assocham analysis released on Wednesday.

In order to streamline business rules, enhance approval processes, and aid in the expansion of MSMEs in India, the research recommended swift reforms. The research suggests a single, combined annual MSME compliance form that combines several files at the national level.

In order to facilitate compliance with the Companies Act, it further recommends establishing biennial or triennial filing periods for registered MSMEs.

FM Sitharaman met with top economists on Monday for the initial pre-budget consultations. Along with other economists and senior officials from the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran attended the conference.

The government has been gathering feedback for the 2018 Union Budget through a series of meetings with industry representatives as part of the continuing pre-budget consultations. Extending tax benefits to the last mile and improving the ease of doing business are the main topics of debate.

Before completing its recommendations for the Union Budget, the government is anticipated to keep interacting with different trade associations in the upcoming weeks.