a.    India's MSME sector acts as the ultimate bedrock of our economy, driving everyday innovation and keeping millions of families afloat. By contributing nearly, a third of the country's GDP and almost half of its exports, these small-scale businesses shoulder a massive responsibility. More than just statistics, they represent the entrepreneurial grit of ordinary citizens, silently creating vast job opportunities right after agriculture and shaping the true financial future of our nation.
b.    PFRDA in compliance with the mandate given and with its vision to make a pension society by 2047 aligning with the national goal of “Viksit Bharat by 2047”. In this regard, the regulatory framework of National Pension System (NPS) allows MSMEs to offer formal pension benefits to their employees with zero administrative burden on the employer.
c.    It operates on regulatory framework of National Pension System (NPS), extended specifically to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. It is governed under the provisions of PFRDA Act, 2013 and regulations notified thereunder.
d.    As on date, India's MSME sector comprises over 8.56 crore registered enterprises employing 36+ crore workers (as per Udyam data, which is continuously growing in numbers), contributing over 45% of India's industrial output. Despite this scale, the sector remains largely outside the ambit of formal social security. NPS-MSME seeks to change that.
e.    The framework of NPS is anchored in the vision of 'Viksit Bharat@2047' — ensuring that India's economic growth is matched by the retirement security of every worker who drives it.
f.    As part of its focused outreach to the MSME sector in 18 States, which are mostly dominated by its existence, PFRDA has engaged with three channel partners as a consultant to guide pathways to authority for outreach activities in states for brining MSME associations, trade bodies and MSME owners together on a platform to bring forth NPS awareness sessions and signing of non-financial MOUs. These are:
(i) KPMG 
(ii) PwC  
(iii) E&Y 
g.    PFRDA is also engaging with various State Government for implementation of NPS in MSME segment by signing a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs). 
h.    Further, for strengthening the last-mile distribution of NPS across the MSME ecosystem, PFRDA has already made enablers, wherein the MSME associations may be engaged by POPs as Pension Agents as per the Circular No. PFRDA/2025/12/REG-POP/01 dated 23rd September 2025, read with subsequent circulars dated 16th October 2025 and 20th March 2026, issued under the PFRDA (Point of Presence) Regulations, 2018,