India plans credit guarantees for small firms, exporters hit by US tariffs

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: India is planning to provide credit guarantees for loans overdue up to 90 days to small businesses and exporters, amid higher tariffs imposed by the US, two government sources told Reuters.

The federal finance ministry has proposed to provide 10%-15% credit guarantees to banks for advancing loans to stressed small businesses, with turnover up to 5 billion rupees, that fall under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) so-called special mention accounts (SMA), the sources said.

Loans that have not been repaid for 0-90 days fall under RBI’s SMA 0-2 category, but are not classified as non-performing assets.

India’s small businesses still struggle with limited access to timely and adequate formal credit.

The government will allocate about 40 billion rupees for providing guarantees to banks, both sources said.

The scheme is designed for firms that are stressed due to external factors “beyond their control”, and the eligibility criteria are being firmed up, according to the sources.

The criteria will cover small exporters who are currently facing uncertainties due to higher tariffs imposed by the US, a key market for Indian exports, the second source said.

The government estimates that about 55% of its merchandise exports to the United States will be subject to the tariff imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

The finance ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Separately, the Indian government is preparing a scheme to provide term loans for small exporters that would be backed by a government guarantee of a maximum 70%-75%, the second source said. The scheme was announced by India’s finance minister in the budget for fiscal 2026.

Indian banks have begun assessing their portfolios to gauge risks in sectors based on their exposure to the US market, three bankers aware of the matter said.

The assessments are internal and are not done on the directives of the RBI, they added. All three sources requested anonymity as they are not authorised to speak with the media.