Disclaimer: This article is published for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content. The information herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal counsel tailored to your specific circumstances. Laws and procedures are subject to change; readers are advised to consult a qualified advocate before taking any legal action. This publication complies with the Bar Council of India Rules on professional standards and is not intended as solicitation or advertisement. Delayed payments remain the single most crippling challenge for micro and small enterprises in India. According to Government data, outstanding delayed payments to MSMEs run into lakhs of crores at any given time, choking working capital, stalling operations, and forcing many enterprises to shut down. Parliament recognised this decades ago when it enacted the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (MSMED Act), which creates a statutory right to timely payment, imposes compound interest on delays, and establishes Facilitation Councils for dispute resolution. Until recently, aggrieved enterprises filed complaints through the MSME Samadhan portal. That has now changed. In June 2025, the Government launched the MSME Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Portal at odr.msme.gov.in, and with effect from 15 October 2025, all new delayed payment complaints by micro and small enterprises must be filed exclusively on this portal. The Samadhan portal no longer accepts fresh filings. This guide explains the complete legal framework for MSME delayed payment recovery the statutory provisions, the new ODR filing process, the two-tiered dispute resolution mechanism, interest computation, the tax consequences under Section 43B(h) of the Income Tax Act, and the enforcement of MSEFC awards. For an overview of all payment recovery options available to businesses in Chennai, see our comprehensive Payment Recovery Lawyers in Chennai guide. The Statutory Framework: Sections 15 to 18 of the MSMED Act, 2006 Section 15 – The 45-Day Payment Mandate Section 15 of the MSMED Act, 2006, is the foundation of the entire delayed payment regime. It provides that where any supplier (a micro or small enterprise) supplies goods or renders services to any buyer, the buyer shall make payment to the supplier on or before the date agreed upon between the buyer and the supplier in writing. If there is no written agreement, payment must be made within fifteen days of acceptance of goods or services. Critically, even where there is a written agreement, the agreed period cannot exceed forty-five days from the date of acceptance or the date of deemed acceptance. This means that any contractual term purporting to allow a payment period beyond forty-five days is void to the extent of such excess the buyer cannot contract out of this statutory ceiling. Section 16 – Mandatory Compound Interest on Delayed Payment Where a buyer fails to make payment within the time limit prescribed under Section 15, the buyer is liable to pay compound interest with monthly rests to the supplier on the outstanding amount. The rate of interest is three times the bank rate notified by the Reserve Bank of India. As of April 2026, the RBI bank rate stands at 5.50%, making the applicable interest rate under Section 16 equal to 16.50% per annum, compounded monthly. This interest accrues automatically from the day immediately following the date on which payment was due. No demand or notice is required from the supplier. The interest continues to accrue until the date of actual payment. Section 17 – Non-Deductibility of Interest for the Buyer Section 17 provides that the buyer cannot claim the interest paid or payable under Section 16 as a deduction from income under the Income Tax Act, 1961. This is a punitive provision designed to ensure that the interest burden is a genuine deterrent and not merely a tax-deductible cost of doing business. Section 18 – The MSEFC Dispute Resolution Mechanism Section 18 establishes the Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (MSEFC) in every State and Union Territory. The MSEFC is the statutory body empowered to resolve delayed payment disputes. Any party to a dispute may make a reference to the MSEFC, which must first attempt conciliation in accordance with the provisions of Sections 65 to 81 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. If conciliation fails, the MSEFC proceeds to arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, or refers the dispute to an institution for arbitration. The MSEFC must dispose of the reference within ninety days from the date of making the reference. The Transition: From Samadhan to the MSME ODR Portal What Was the Samadhan Portal? The MSME Samadhan portal (samadhaan.msme.gov.in) was launched in 2017 as a Delayed Payment Monitoring System. It allowed micro and small enterprises to file complaints against buyers for delayed payments. The portal served primarily as a filing and tracking mechanism it did not resolve disputes itself, but routed complaints to the respective state MSEFCs. What Changed in 2025? On 27 June 2025 (MSME Day), the President of India launched the MSME Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Portal at odr.msme.gov.in. This portal was developed under the MSME RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) programme and represents a fundamental upgrade from Samadhan. On 3 October 2025, the Ministry of MSME issued a notification mandating that all new delayed payment cases filed by micro and small enterprises under the MSMED Act, 2006, must be lodged exclusively on the ODR Portal with effect from 15 October 2025. The Samadhan portal continues to operate in a limited capacity it provides status tracking for legacy cases filed before 15 October 2025, redirects new users to the ODR Portal, and maintains the historical case database. No new filings are accepted on MSME Samadhan. How Is the ODR Portal Different? The ODR Portal introduces a two-tiered dispute resolution process that goes far beyond the mere filing-and-forwarding function of Samadhan: Tier 1 – Pre-MSEFC Resolution (Voluntary): Before a dispute reaches the statutory MSEFC, the ODR Portal facilitates voluntary, out-of-court settlement through guided digital negotiation pathways. Both parties … Read more