# Service sector to join zero defect scheme for MSMEs 2026-08-14T09:14:51+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The government plans to include the service sector in the Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) scheme, officials said. MSME secretary Bharat Khera said discussions with the Quality Council of India and the National Productivity Council are underway to set quality parameters for services like healthcare and hospitality. Currently, the ZED scheme covers only manufacturing units. It provides subsidies of up to 80% for micro enterprises and funds technology upgrades. Service sector MSMEs account for 38% of India's 92 million small businesses. From April to December, 281,391 MSMEs were ZED-certified. The government spent Rs 241.24 crore on the scheme in FY25, up from Rs 192.79 crore the previous year. ## Coverage - livemint.com Tags: Bharat Khera, Ease of Doing Business, MSME, quality certification, service sector, Zero Defect Zero Effect Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/service-sector-to-join-zero-defect-scheme-for-msmes/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/service-sector-to-join-zero-defect-scheme-for-msmes/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.