Why MSME accounts in Jammu & Kashmir (UT) slip to NPA
J&K's stressed asset base is dominated by J&K Bank (state-domiciled bank) — the bank's post-2019 clean-up expanded the state's disclosed NPA pool. In the MSME book, the trigger is rarely business failure — it is receivable delay. Buyers stretch beyond the 45-day statutory limit under the MSMED Act, the CC account stays over-drawn, drawing power is cut on a stale stock statement and the account touches SMA-2 inside 60 days. Stressed clusters in the state: Handicrafts & carpets; Apple growers; Hospitality & tourism; Retail trade.
