MFIs

The government has approved the extension of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions - 2.0 and a hike in the maximum loan limit to Rs 1,000 crore. As of date, loans totalling Rs 770 crore have been sanctioned under the scheme, the Finance Ministry said in a statement. The CGSMFI-2.0 scheme was introduced on March 20, 2026, and aims to provide guarantee cover to Banks/ FIs through National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) against expected losses on the financial assistance extended by them to NBFC-MFIs and MFIs for on-lending to small borrowers. The scheme was valid till June 30, 2026 or loans up to Rs 20,000 crore are guaranteed, whichever is earlier. "The Government of India has approved extension in validity of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Microfinance Institutions-2.0 (CGSMFI-2.0) up to August 31, 2026, or till guarantees for an amount of Rs 20,000 crore are issued, whichever is earlier," the ministry said. The government has also approved a

Large microfinance institutions are diversifying into retail and MSME lending as regulatory changes and recent sector stress reshape growth strategies

Scheme aims to ease liquidity constraints, boost credit flow to small borrowers, and support microfinance institutions with graded guarantee cover and lending norms

Improving asset quality and disbursement trends support outlook, but risks from Bihar legislation, geopolitics, and climate factors may weigh on growth

Microfinance loan portfolio fell to Rs 3.14 trillion in Q3 FY26, down 7.3% sequentially, with 50 lakh borrowers losing access to formal finance even as portfolio quality showed improvement

NBFC-MFIs are expanding into MSME loans, LAP and affordable housing finance as political developments, regulatory changes and sector stress push lenders to diversify beyond microfinance

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Banks are likely to see better loan growth and margins in Q3FY26, with PSU lenders outperforming as credit costs ease, unsecured loan stress moderates and recoveries remain steady

While Provisions bill dips; income flows stay subdued

At right price, ARCs are eager to acquire the portfolio

After quarters of liquidity stress and high delinquencies, India's microfinance sector shows revival signs, though experts say sustained recovery depends on stronger bank and government support

The fall in new delinquencies in the microfinance industry has slowed, delaying recovery by a quarter, with meaningful earnings growth expected only from Q4 FY26 or FY27

Bihar, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal - which go to polls between the latter half of 2025 and the early part of 2026 - account for 42 per cent of microfinance institutions' (MFIs) portfolio

MFIN seeks a ₹15,000-₹20,000 crore government-backed credit guarantee to encourage banks to lend to NBFC-MFIs, citing improved collection efficiency and liquidity needs

The Reserve Bank does not have any concern on asset quality from unsecured loans perspective, including microfinance (MFI), Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Wednesday. The system NPAs (non-performing assets) are also "satisfactory", Malhotra told reporters, stressing that the proportion of dud assets is not increasing. Recalling that the NPAs in the unsecured segment like personal loans and credit cards, and also MFI, were indeed seen to be rising, Malhotra said the RBI acted by raising the risk weights which had the intended impact of slowing credit growth in the segments. "We have seen a slowdown in credit growth there. From an overall perspective, this (NPAs in unsecured loans and MFI) is not a cause of concern for us," he said. Malhotra also assured that MFIs, which serve the bottom of the pyramid and help deepen financial inclusion, will get all the attention as is required. Meanwhile, allaying fears of a decline in deposit rates leading to a shift of deposits to avenues beyo

Asset quality stress in the NBFC-MFI sector surged in 2024-25 amid borrower overleveraging as well as operational challenges, and the pressure is expected to persist in first half of the current fiscal, a report said. ICRA's July 2025 analysis on the Non-Banking Financial Company - Microfinance Institution (NBFC-MFI) said that the AUM of the sector declined 12 per cent in FY2025. However, the rating agency said it anticipates growth to resume in FY2026 to 10-15 per cent. As per the report, asset quality stress surged in FY25 largely due to borrower overleveraging, sociopolitical disruptions, and operational challenges. ICRA has a negative outlook on the sector, given the lingering asset quality stress and subdued profitability. Overall stress in FY2025 surged to 15.3 per cent vis--vis opening stressed pool of 5.9 per cent as of March 2024 on account of significant deterioration in asset quality in the microfinance sector, the report said. Given the deterioration in asset quality,

IDFC First Bank chief says not insuring the microfinance portfolio earlier worsened FY25 losses but confirms that 66 per cent of the book is now covered under CGFMU

Central bank has taken a sympathetic view of institutions by easing some lending norms

RBI relaxes qualifying criteria for NBFCs to be treated as MFIs

Darkest hour is over, MFI stocks soar 15-21% as crisis turns into catalyst