Since 2019, the government has, on average, procured 2.03% of MSMEs owned by members of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities and 2.46% of MSMEs owned by women entrepreneurs. The required annual percentage is 4% and 3%, respectively, according to the Public Procurement Policy for MSEs Order, 2012. These figures were given by the Union government in response to Congress MP Mukul Wasnik’s question on the annual procurement of goods and services from MSMEs owned by SC, ST, and women since 2019. Minister of State for MSMEs, Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, said the figures, since 2019-20 and till 2023-2024, say that the highest procurement was in 2022-23, at Rs 63,835 crore. That year, only Rs 1,500 crores, or 2.35%, were procured from MSMEs owned by SC and ST entrepreneurs, and Rs 2,196 crores, or 3.44%, were procured from women. The government said in the reply that “a number of steps have been taken to enhance the level of procurement from SC, ST, and women entrepreneurs.”