As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy has been in
disarray in recent years. The Indian government's response to the
pandemic included a slew of safety nets aimed at mitigating the effects
on vulnerable society and the business sector. Despite the unexpected
pandemic, India's ongoing efforts to join the five trillion-dollar
economy are commendable. In order to meet the lofty goal, the country's
GDP increased during the pre-pandemic years. India's MSME sector is one
of the most active, accounting for roughly 29 percent of the country's
GDP and 49.6 percent of total exports. Any sector that is digitally
enabled and addresses digital challenges can make a greater contribution
to the economy.

However, when it comes to digital technology adoption, the sector has
lagged behind. Though government enforcement through various schemes and
programmes had paved the way for these firms to adopt digital
technology, the sector's reluctance to adopt until the pandemic's
arrival had rendered these firms globally uncompetitive. However, the
earlier built eco-system that enabled digitalization has assisted the
sector in surviving the pandemic. As a result, digitalization has proven
to be an effective crisis mentor. Previous research has shown that
during a pandemic, the government of India's digitalization initiatives
assisted MSMEs in sustaining supply chain disruptions and experiencing
increased sales revenues and profits.

This study attempts to explore the schemes of the government of India to
enable the MSME sector to leverage the digital advantage.