New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- The small-business lobby, India SME Forum, has said that the government's proposed crackdown on spam marketing could increase compliance costs for thousands of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The forum, which represents nearly 100,000 small businesses, has asked the consumer affairs ministry to assess the impact of the proposed rules before rolling them out. Requirements such as managing customer consent, maintaining records and handling complaints could be especially challenging for smaller firms that do not have separate compliance teams, it said. Mint has seen a copy of the representation sent to the consumer affairs ministry on 15 October.

The issue has arisen as digital advertising has become a k...