Meesho and BSE bring Project Shikhar seller-capital outreach to New Delhi

Meesho and BSE held Project Shikhar’s first on-ground seller session in New Delhi, guiding MSME vendors on SME listings and growth-capital options. The programme, launched in June, adds an offline engagement layer to Meesho’s seller ecosystem.

— Source publishedFri, 18 Sept, 2026, 06:31 IST·First seen Fri, 18 Sept, 2026, 16:25 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

Meesho and BSE held Project Shikhar’s first on-ground seller engagement in New Delhi, educating MSME vendors on SME listings and growth capital. Separately, a

Key facts

  • Two-day BSE-Meesho Project Shikhar programme
  • Project Shikhar launched in June 2026
  • UPI MDR of 0.4% on larger merchant transactions
  • 96% of merchant transactions remain free
  • October 15 transition deadline

Why this matters

The collaboration shows how marketplace platforms can pair financial-market institutions with seller education, creating partnership opportunities around capital access, compliance and merchant growth services.

What to watch

  • Number of Project Shikhar cities, participating sellers and follow-on BSE or financing partnerships.
  • Evidence of seller graduation into formal credit, SME IPO preparation, improved GST compliance or inventory expansion.
  • Changes in Meesho seller retention, assortment depth, average order value and availability among participating cohorts.
  • Final terms, exemptions and enforcement timeline of the October 15 UPI MDR transition.
  • Merchant payment-mix shifts, checkout fee changes or marketplace-funded payment incentives for larger sellers.
  • Rival seller-capital initiatives from Amazon, Flipkart, IndiaMART, fintech lenders and payment platforms.
  • Extend Project Shikhar beyond Delhi into manufacturing and trading hubs such as Surat, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Tiruppur and Hyderabad.
  • Bundle BSE SME-listing education with bookkeeping, GST compliance, credit-readiness and working-capital referrals.
  • Identify high-GMV sellers with repeat demand and offer tailored growth-capital, inventory-finance or advertising-credit pathways.
  • Build seller guidance on payment-cost optimization ahead of any UPI MDR implementation changes.
  • Expect competing marketplaces and fintech partners to market alternative lending, compliance and formalization programmes to protect top sellers.