Published Paper Details:

Abstract Micro and small enterprises have unswervingly had a substantial influence on employment growth and have been an important source of foreign income for the country. It is not only subsidiary to urban workers but also provides livelihoods for people from all walks of life in rural areas. The micro and small industry is the one that engenders the most revenue, but the reason because of the pandemic, the numbers are adverse. Among all the means MSMEs are one of the important resources that the Government has, it is therefore important to understand how the epidemic has affected this sector. Darjeeling, which is popularly known as an important hill tourist spot and extraction of tourists is chosen for the study. The primary data which is the main data source of the study were collected using a structured questionnaire provided to the entrepreneurs, owners and managers of the respective MSEs spread over the Darjeeling district. Secondary data are also collected from the MSME department, Government of West Bengal. Analysis has been made to find out the effect of Covid-19 on micro and small enterprises. SPSS helps to analyze the regression model to verify the level of significance among dependent and independent variables and to determine the factors that impacted its daily existence after the pandemic. The study finds that even after the relaxation of the lockdown this sector, particularly micro industry and self-employed businesses suffered a lot. The study finds that the mainstream of the micro and small units was closed during the COVID-19 era due to financial and various other issues. Even after post-pandemic, many micro and small units are closed and are still hoping to reopen their respective units. More awareness is required for entrepreneurs, particularly from rural and backward areas regarding the benefits and scope of MSME, and State Govt. should take initiatives to shield the revolting Micro and Small Enterprises within the region.