Bombay High Court

ETHIQUAL GLOBAL PRIVATE LIMITEDversusUNION OF INDIA

Decided: 24 August 2026
Disposal: Disposed Off

Holding

The Court ordered the Council to hear and decide the application under Section 18 of the MSME Act as expeditiously as possible, preferably within three months.

Summary

Ethiqual Global Private Limited filed a writ petition seeking a direction to the Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (Respondent No.3) to hear and decide its application under Section 18 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006. The Court, without examining the merits of the application, noted the statutory requirement for a time‑bound decision under the MSME Act. Accordingly, it ordered the Council to consider the application expeditiously, preferably within three months from 7 September 2026, and to notify the petitioner of the order. The petitioner was also directed to inform the Council of the order. The petition was thereafter disposed.

Issues considered

Whether the High Court can direct the Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council to decide an application under Section 18 of the MSME Act within a specified time‑frame?

Legislation cited

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 — s. 18

Subjects

MSME Act
Section 18
Writ petition
Expeditious hearing
Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council

Judgment

                                                                             38-WP-102444-2026.DOC




                                 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                           CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
                                         WRIT PETITION NO. 10244 OF 2026


                      Ethiqual Global Private Limited                              ..Petitioner
                            Versus
                      Union of India                                            …Respondent

                      Mr. Aakash Joshi, with Ravi Bhardwaj, Amarjit Prasad and Amruta
                            Pendalkar, for the Petitioner.

                                                    CORAM:         N. J. JAMADAR, J.
                                                    DATE :         24th AUGUST 2026


                      P.C.:

                      1.      A limited prayer in this Petition is to direct Respondent No.3, the

                      Micro And Small Enterprises Facilitation Council, to hear and decide an

                      Application No. UDYAM-MH-26-0079461/M/00001 under Section 18 of
ARUN
RAMCHANDRA
SANKPAL
                      the Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006
Digitally signed by
ARUN
RAMCHANDRA
SANKPAL
Date: 2026.08.26
09:27:50 +0530
                      (“MSME Act”), as expeditiously as possible.

                      2.       Without delving into the correctness of the grievances in the

                      Application and in view of the statutory mandate as to time-frame

                      contained in the MSME Act, the Petition stands disposed with a request

                      to Respondent No.3 to hear and decide the Application No. UDYAM-

                      MH-26-0079461/M/00001, as expeditiously as possible and, preferably,

                      within a period of three months from 7 th September 2026; on which day


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                                                     38-WP-102444-2026.DOC

the Petitioner shall appear before the the Micro And Small Enterprises

Facilitation Council.

3.    The Petitioner shall intimate the Respondents about today’s order

and shall serve a copy of this order on the Respondents before the

Micro And Small Enterprises Facilitation Council, as well.

4.    Petition disposed.



                                            [N. J. JAMADAR, J.]




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