The term SAMADHAN is ambiguous in Indian governance, referring to at least two major national concepts: a strategy against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and a portal for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). The LWE strategy, announced in 2017, is an acronym for a comprehensive doctrine, while the MSME Samadhaan Portal is a concrete, operational scheme/portal for dispute resolution.
The MSME Samadhaan Portal is a digital mechanism launched by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) on October 30, 2017. It was created to solve the critical problem of delayed payments to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) by their buyers, including Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and government departments.
The portal works by allowing any MSE with a valid Udyam Registration Number (or Udyog Aadhaar) to file an online application against a buyer for delayed payments. This mechanism is rooted in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006. The complaint is referred to the Micro and Small Enterprise Facilitation Council (MSEFC), which is mandated to resolve the dispute within 90 days. A key provision is that if a buyer fails to make payment within 45 days of accepting the goods or services, they are liable to pay compound interest with monthly rests at three times the bank rate notified by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as stipulated under Section 16 of the MSMED Act, 2006. The portal connects directly to the MSEFCs established by State Governments under Sections 20 and 21 of the MSMED Act, 2006. The information on pending payments is made public on a dashboard to exert moral pressure on defaulting parties.