A snapshot of Microfinance in India

Service Volumes
In the financial year 2007/08, Microfinance in India through its two major channels –
SBLP and MFIs – served over 33 million Indians, up by 9 million over the
previous financial year. 4 out of 5 microfinance clients in India are women.
Per 31st March 2008, the outstanding micro-credit portfolio of India Microfinance
was about Rs. 22,000 crore. 75% are accounted for by SBLP, 20% by large MFIs and 5%
by medium and small MFIs.
SBLP reports over Rs. 3,500 crore savings of SHG-members (2006/07). MFIs are
prohibited from accepting savings; however, one third of their clients are served under the
SHG-model and thus encouraged to save among themselves and/or open savings accounts
with banks. The MFI KBS Local Area Bank reports about Rs. 40 crore savings portfolio
for its 1 lac clients (2007/08).
From The Bharat Microfinance Report 2008:

Outstanding Portfolio (in Rs. Crore)

SBLP* 10,644 16,900
Sa-Dhan, 223 MFIs 3,456 5,954
Total** 13,582 21,961
Client Outreach (in million persons)
SBLP* 16.01 21.57
Sa-Dhan, 223 MFIs 10.04 14.1
Total** 24.55 33.55
* SHG-Bank Linkage Programme is spearheaded and implemented by NABARD. Figures in
italics are estimates, see Sa-Dhan (2008) for details.
** The total has been reduced by 15% of MFI-figure, assumed to be the overlap with SBLP.

Highlights of the Bharat Microfinance Report - Quick-Data

2008
Sa-Dhan Quick-data set is the most timely – the quickest – of any segment of the financial sector.
India Microfinance is proud to take once again the lead in disclosing performance over the last
financial year which ended on 31st March 2008. Highlights recorded are
• Growth of MFI- loan portfolios passed 70% annually between March 2006
and March 2008. The strongest impulse came from medium – often urban – MFIs in
2006/07 and from large MFIs in 2007/08.
• Indian MFIs are true to their mission of serving the poor strata of society.
A stable 8 out of 10 clients have been provided loans sized less than Rs. 10,000.
• The loan segment between Rs. 5,000 and Rs 10,000 has been growing
strongest. This can be explained by two impulses: On one hand, microfinance
customers mature to bigger loans over the loan cycles. On the other hand, urban
microfinance starts with comparatively bigger loans than rural finance.
From The Bharat Microfinance Report 2008:
 Portfolio in Rs.
crore; Clients in
10,000 persons

• Indian MFIs serve 4.1 million clients from the SC/ST background. The
reported number of SC/ST has been growing alongside the rate of total outreach, thus
the SC/ST-share is stable at 3 out of 10 clients.
From The Bharat Microfinance Report 2008:
 • India's MFIs operate in 209 out of 331 poorest districts of the country; up by
5% over the previous year.
• Large MFIs are particularly active in expanding their operations to the poorest
districts; many of them serving more poorest than other districts.
• Urban Microfinance is emerging as a strong growth driver; between March
2006 and March 2008, 1 out of 3 new clients was from the urban background. One
Quarter of all MFI clients is from the urban background.

The Microfinance Institutions (MFIs)

For its 2008-Quick-Report Sa-Dhan collected and validated data from 231 MFIs.
Ultimately, between 216 and 223 were validated for analysis, up from 129 in the previous
Quick-Report. Most MFIs are societies and trusts. Among the large MFIs, most are
NBFCs, but not-for-profit organizations are also counted in this category. Most of the
cooperative banks in the sample are urban-based. Out of 4 Local Area Banks licensed by
RBI, AP-based KBS is included in the sample.
From The Bharat Microfinance Report 2008:
MFIs with MFIs with Loan MFIs with Loan
No of
Loan Portfolio Portfolio >5 to 50 Portfolio over Total
MFIs
up to 5 crore crore 50 crore
Society 87.7 543.8 478.3 1,109.7 104
Trust 24.0 149.8 225.4 399.3 31
Cooperative Bank 8.3 - - 8.3 8
MACS 5.2 11.0 - 16.2 10
Section 25 Company 11.6 127.4 543.6 682.6 22
NBFC 10.6 197.3 3,312.1 3,520.0 25
LAB or any other 13.6 13.7 134.7 1,62.0 16
Total 161.0 1,043.0 4,694.1 5,898.2
No of MFIs 137 57 22 216
Read More
Sa-Dhan publishes two sector-reports per year. The Bharat
Microfinance Report – Quick Data comes out shortly after the closure
of the financial year. It presents outreach of India Microfinance. Moreover, it provides a
list of MFI-profiles – 223 in the 2008-Quick-Report – with their portfolios, outreach, yield
and cost information. The Bharat Microfinance Report - Side-by-Side
is released in the 4th quarter of the year, it analyses audited accounts of MFIs and discusses
"hot" issues of the sector.
The latest sector reports are available as hardcopy from Sa-Dhan; members can download them
for free from www.sa-dhan.net (forth coming).
The Bharat Microfinance Report- Quick Data 2007/08, New Delhi.
Maturing Microfinance – Emerging Challenges 2007, Side-by-Side Report No 6,
New Delhi.

About Sa-Dhan
Sa-Dhan, founded in 1998 by SEWA Bank, PRADAN, BASIX among others, is an
association of 196 MFIs and other microfinance stakeholders, e. g. capacity builders,
networks. All these member institutions have diverse approaches and models, and operate
across the country. Sa-Dhan pursues its mission through
• Encouraging existing and new MFIs through financing and capacity building as
well as a supportive regulatory framework.
• Incentivizing existing mainstream financial institutions (mainly banks) to provide
microfinance.
• Building a strong demand system in the form of Community Based Development
Financial Institutions (CDFIs).
In order to successfully execute its strategy, Sa-Dhan is working in the following three
thematic areas:
Policy interventions: It looks at providing an enabling environment for the enhancement
of Microfinance activities. Ms. Jayashree Vyas, MD, SEWA Bank, heads Sa-Dhan's
Policy Sub-group.
Setting standards: Its main function is to facilitate the adoption of best practices within
the sector. Sa-Dhan's Standards Sub-group is led by Mr. Sitaram Rao, Chief Executive
Officer of SKS, Hyderabad.
Capacity building: It aims to build the sectoral capacity in Microfinance. Dr. Shankar
Dutta of IGS leads Sa-Dhan's Capacity Building Sub-Group.