Odisha MSMEs Flag Patient Capital, Infrastructure and Market Access as Key Growth Hurdles

• Deep-tech and manufacturing MSMEs need longer-term financing to develop products, secure approvals and scale.

• Entrepreneurs flagged inadequate industrial infrastructure, connectivity and industry-ready skilled manpower.

• Odisha needs to move beyond counting MSME registrations and improve market access, mentorship and policy execution to help firms grow.

Access to patient capital, industry-ready skills, infrastructure and market access emerged as key challenges for Odisha’s MSMEs, with entrepreneurs at the Outlook MSME Growth Conclave – Odisha 2026 calling for a stronger ecosystem to help businesses scale.

The issues were discussed during a panel discussion on “Unlocking Credit for Odisha’s MSMEs: What Works, What Doesn’t?”, where entrepreneurs and industry representatives said that merely increasing the number of registered MSMEs would not be enough to achieve the state’s economic ambitions.

Sumona Karjee Mishra, Founder & MD, Pranta Solutions Pvt. Ltd., said access to capital remained one of the biggest constraints, particularly for technology-based and deep-tech companies that require longer periods to develop products, obtain regulatory approvals and enter manufacturing.

“Whatever we say, the capital which is available, it comes with some kind of a binding. We as a MSME require patient capital,” Mishra said.

She said investors could not expect returns within two or three years when businesses such as medical-device companies require considerable time for innovation, regulatory approvals and manufacturing.

Focus needs to shift to scaling

Suma Devi Dash, Ashwini Group of Hospitals, stressed that the focus should shift from simply counting MSMEs to helping them grow in size and value.

The panel discussed the need to track how many businesses move from micro to small, small to medium and medium to large, rather than focusing primarily on registrations. The panellist said enterprises need not only capital but also skilled manpower, networks, customers, mentorship and supportive policies to graduate to the next level.

Satwik Swain, Honorary Secretary General, Odisha Assembly of Small and Medium Enterprises (OASME), said a large section of entrepreneurs continues to depend on government incentives, land and finance, while a smaller group is able to establish businesses with private capital and develop markets independently.

Swain said Odisha needs to build greater confidence in its own manufacturers and MSMEs.

Samidha Mahapatra, Promoter & Co-Vice Chairperson, Magnum Group, said Odisha must avoid repeating the shortcomings of its earlier industrialisation push.

Recalling the state’s earlier “1,000 factories in 1,000 days” initiative, Mahapatra said many enterprises were created but only a few survived. She said the state now needs to ensure that its current economic vision translates into sustainable businesses.

Mishra said that while getting land and accessing some government support was not a major challenge, infrastructure and approvals remained difficult for technology-driven businesses.

She said applications submitted through the government’s single-window system could still move across multiple departments, leaving entrepreneurs uncertain about the status of their applications.

The panel concluded that credit alone will not unlock Odisha’s MSME potential. Patient capital, skilled manpower, infrastructure, market access, mentorship and effective policy implementation will be crucial for helping enterprises scale and contribute to Odisha’s long-term economic ambitions.