Nordic Microfinance Initiative

Light Microfinance is a non-banking finance company registered with the Reserve Bank of India. Headquartered at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Light Microfinance provides micro and meso finance products and services with gender and poverty-focused programs, targeting rural and peri-urban areas, with a specific focus on poor women. The company operates in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and is one of the fastest growing microfinance companies in India today.

Sitara, known as Sewa Grih Rin Limited, is a housing finance company based in New Delhi, India, that was established in 2011. The company specializes in providing affordable housing loans to low-income households, particularly those in urban and peri-urban areas. It offers a range of mortgage products that can be used alongside government subsidies, as well as non-mortgage loans aimed at home and infrastructure improvements. Focused on addressing the needs of informally employed individuals, Sitara empowers these households, especially women, by helping them acquire tangible financial assets and improve their living conditions. Through its services, the company strives to bridge the financing gap for those who typically lack access to formal housing finance, thereby enhancing the overall quality of life for its clients.

Sitara, known as Sewa Grih Rin Limited, is a housing finance company based in New Delhi, India, that was established in 2011. The company specializes in providing affordable housing loans to low-income households, particularly those in urban and peri-urban areas. It offers a range of mortgage products that can be used alongside government subsidies, as well as non-mortgage loans aimed at home and infrastructure improvements. Focused on addressing the needs of informally employed individuals, Sitara empowers these households, especially women, by helping them acquire tangible financial assets and improve their living conditions. Through its services, the company strives to bridge the financing gap for those who typically lack access to formal housing finance, thereby enhancing the overall quality of life for its clients.

Tugende is a financial services company based in Kampala, Uganda, focused on empowering informal sector entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized enterprises. Founded in 2012, Tugende primarily assists motorcycle taxi drivers in transitioning from renting to owning their motorcycles within eighteen months, thereby enhancing their income, job security, and road safety. In addition to motorcycles, Tugende provides business assets such as special hire taxis, matatus, and boat engines, as well as supplementary assets for existing clients like smartphones and salon equipment. The company also offers a range of services, including care services for health and life insurance, safety training, and value-added services like genuine parts and maintenance support. By addressing the credit gap and facilitating asset ownership, Tugende helps clients achieve financial independence and sustainable livelihoods.

Light Microfinance is a non-banking finance company registered with the Reserve Bank of India. Headquartered at Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Light Microfinance provides micro and meso finance products and services with gender and poverty-focused programs, targeting rural and peri-urban areas, with a specific focus on poor women. The company operates in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and is one of the fastest growing microfinance companies in India today.

Operating in the urban slums of Mumbai, Svasti is a startup NBFC-MFI innovatively using technology and focusing on product design. Its microfinance program was started in October 2008. The Indian microfinance market is still largely under-penetrated, and the market is very fragmented with over 1500+ MFIs, but only a handful have an NBFC form allowing to receive equity investments like Svatsi.

Proximity Finance, one of the country’s few farmer-facing microfinance institutions, serves the financial needs of about 100,000 households. The firm aims to nearly double that number over the next five years and have dispersed one million loans.

Sindhuja Microcredit Pvt Ltd is a digital and rural-focused microfinance institution based in Patna, India, established in 2017. The company specializes in providing credit products, particularly microfinance and micro-enterprise loans, aimed at supporting self-employed women entrepreneurs at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Sindhuja Microcredit serves a diverse clientele across rural, semi-urban, and urban areas, offering financial services that facilitate liquidity assistance for entrepreneurs and small businesses. In addition to its core offerings, the company plans to expand its services through third-party partnerships to include insurance, pension, and other financial products, further enhancing the support available to its customers.

Operating in the urban slums of Mumbai, Svasti is a startup NBFC-MFI innovatively using technology and focusing on product design. Its microfinance program was started in October 2008. The Indian microfinance market is still largely under-penetrated, and the market is very fragmented with over 1500+ MFIs, but only a handful have an NBFC form allowing to receive equity investments like Svatsi.

Dvara is a financial inclusion platform in India focused on enhancing access to financial services for low-income households. It operates through several entities, including Dvara KGFS, which establishes community financial services institutions tailored to rural markets. Dvara Solutions, another branch of the organization, develops software to assist financial institutions in becoming more customer-centric. Additionally, Dvara Research conducts policy research to identify and address market gaps in financial services. Collectively, these efforts aim to ensure that every individual and enterprise can access the financial resources they need, thereby fostering economic inclusion and growth.

Operating in the urban slums of Mumbai, Svasti is a startup NBFC-MFI innovatively using technology and focusing on product design. Its microfinance program was started in October 2008. The Indian microfinance market is still largely under-penetrated, and the market is very fragmented with over 1500+ MFIs, but only a handful have an NBFC form allowing to receive equity investments like Svatsi.

Sub-K means "for everyone" in Hindi language and below "one thousand" in English , indicating touch points within 1,000 meters distance, offering transactions of less than 1,000 rupees , providing access to less than 1,000 households at a cost of 1,000 paisa. Basix Sub-K iTransactions Ltd., is a subsidiary company under BASIX Social Enterprise Group, started in 2010 with a vision to provide technology enabled transactional platform to the unbanked population. Sub-K operates, manages, and controls inclusive transactions on end-to-end basis through recruiting, training and equipping local entrepreneurs as Business Correspondent agents who serve as human ATMs at the last mile of connectivity between the Bank and the end consumer, through mobile/kiosk based technology. Sub-K creates a self-propagating eco-system for profitability and sustainability of the BC sub-agent, Bank, and Sub-K, ultimately serving the customers with real time banking and non-banking solutions. Sub-K is a service company that offers affordable, accessible and scalable digital payment solutions to the BoP segment in rural and urban areas and seeks to bridge the digital divide and create a “financially included society”. Any customer with a bank account can walk into these BC outlets and avail banking services - cash deposit, cash withdrawal, remittance, fund transfer, balance enquiry, mini statement, loan repayment etc. Basix Sub-K facilitates business of micro-entrepreneurs through microcredit, insurance, pensions, farm loans, personal loans, vehicle loans. Government payments to citizens, Aadhaar card, PAN card services are also facilitated at some of these outlets. Non-banking services are also offered for enhancing the income of the BC agent and offer convenience to customers.

Utkarsh Micro Finance Private Limited is registered with Reserve Bank of India as Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC). Its registered office and corporate office is in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). It is started to provide financial and non financial services in its area of operations to the unbanked population who have the skill but are in need of capital. Initially it has started with credit and insurance, but eventually it will also undertake other activities to bring transformation in the lives of underprivileged.

Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Limited is a banking institution in India that offers a variety of financial products and services tailored to meet the needs of retail, institutional, and corporate clients. The bank operates through several segments, including Corporate/Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking, Treasury, and Other Banking Operations. Its product offerings encompass savings and current accounts, fixed and recurring deposits, and various loan options such as housing, personal, business, agricultural, and MSME loans. Additionally, the bank provides microbanking services, overdrafts against fixed deposits, and wholesale lending. Utkarsh Small Finance Bank also facilitates remittance services, including NEFT and RTGS, and offers digital banking solutions through ATMs, internet, and mobile banking. The bank is further engaged in treasury operations and the distribution of third-party financial products like insurance and mutual funds. As of March 31, 2020, Utkarsh Small Finance Bank operated a network of 507 branches and 177 ATMs across 15 states and 2 union territories in India. Headquartered in Varanasi, it was incorporated in 2016 and is a subsidiary of Utkarsh CoreInvest Limited.

RGVN (North East) Microfinance Limited is a registered Non-Banking Finance Company headquartered in Guwahati, India, focused on providing financial services to underprivileged households in the Northeastern region. Established in 2008, the company operates 149 branches across West Bengal and Northeastern India, aiming to improve access to health, education, and livelihood opportunities for its clients. RGVN offers a range of financial products, including loans for micro-businesses and subsidized loans for welfare purposes, emphasizing good governance, professionalism, and client satisfaction. The organization has set ambitious goals to impact a significant number of clients in the region, demonstrating a commitment to community-oriented financial solutions.

Utkarsh Micro Finance Private Limited is registered with Reserve Bank of India as Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC). Its registered office and corporate office is in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). It is started to provide financial and non financial services in its area of operations to the unbanked population who have the skill but are in need of capital. Initially it has started with credit and insurance, but eventually it will also undertake other activities to bring transformation in the lives of underprivileged.

Utkarsh Micro Finance Private Limited is registered with Reserve Bank of India as Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC). Its registered office and corporate office is in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). It is started to provide financial and non financial services in its area of operations to the unbanked population who have the skill but are in need of capital. Initially it has started with credit and insurance, but eventually it will also undertake other activities to bring transformation in the lives of underprivileged.

Utkarsh Micro Finance Private Limited is registered with Reserve Bank of India as Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC). Its registered office and corporate office is in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). It is started to provide financial and non financial services in its area of operations to the unbanked population who have the skill but are in need of capital. Initially it has started with credit and insurance, but eventually it will also undertake other activities to bring transformation in the lives of underprivileged.