Rise of Hindutva Politics, Demonetisation, and Its Impact on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in India

In India, different political regimes have introduced varied policies for the economic and social development of the nation. Within the context of industrial sector development, MSMEs contribute and play a pivotal role in the growth of Indian economy. These enterprises nurture local entrepreneurship and generate large employment opportunities that are comparatively less capital intensive and stands next to agriculture. This paper examines the relationship between the rise of Hindutva politics and MSMEs in India and argues that the rise of Hindutva politics and its demonetisation policies have adversely impacted the MSME sector. The demonetisation policies proved to be fatal and laden with complexities for the MSME sector to cope that mostly overlaps with the informal sector. The paper explores the impacts of demonetisation on MSMEs that proved detrimental and unfavourably affected the lives of the people, hence, rendering to its decline in the country.