India's 45-Day MSME Rule Exposes Supply Gap

The 45‑day payment mandate for MSME suppliers, effective April 2024, forces distributors to settle invoices within 45 days to claim tax deductions.
Over 52 % of B2B payments in Indian industrial hubs are already overdue beyond 90 days, tightening working‑capital cycles for distributors.
UNICbiz proposes a Supply Chain Partners Program using anchor‑validated invoices to provide channel finance and discount 80‑90 % of invoice values.
Implementation challenges include RBI‑regulated invoice discounting, anchor first‑loss guarantees, and ensuring discount fees fit distributors’ thin 5‑8 % margins.