Page 3 - Microfinance

'Risk appetite for microfinance portfolios among ARCs not that high'

In acquisition, we are almost there. And in terms of recovery, if I take the target up to December, we have achieved it, said Pallav Mohapatra, MD & CEO of Asset Reconstruction Company

MFIN dismisses reports about alleged harassment by microfinance firms

The Microfinance Industry Network (MFIN) on Thursday dismissed reports about alleged harassment by microfinance companies in the state, claiming that a small section of "ill-informed" individuals with the aid of unauthorised entities were indulging in "unscrupulous" rumourmongering. Recently, various organisations also staged protests in different parts of the state condemning the atrocities and oppression carried out by microfinance companies and demanded action against them. "The recent reports of protests against MFIs are from a small section of "ill-informed" individuals with the aid of unauthorised entities, indulging in unscrupulous rumourmongering," Rama Kamaraju, Head, State Initiatives, MFIN said in a press conference here. The MFIN is a Self-Regulatory Organisation recognised by RBI and the Association of Karnataka Microfinance Institutions. "We wish to assure you all that we follow a very well calibrated advisory approach and have our eye on the ball at all times," he ..

Microfinance sector shows signs of stress as delinquency rates rise

The Reserve Bank of India's Financial Stability Report of December 2024 had observed that the microfinance sector is showing rising delinquencies across lenders and ticket sizes

Borrowers with microfinance, retail overlap have higher delinquency: CRIF

The report highlighted that borrowers with an overlap of microfinance and retail loans exhibited higher delinquency rates compared to those with only microfinance loans.

MFI portfolio declines 4.3%, bad assets spike in Sep quarter: Report

Microlending outstandings in the system reduced 4.3 per cent to Rs 4.14 lakh crore in the September quarter as lenders adopted a cautious stance amid deteriorating asset quality, a report said on Wednesday. Loans unpaid for 1-30 days increased to 2.1 per cent from the 1.2 per cent in June, while the ones unpaid for 31-180 days witnessed a sharper rise at 4.3 per cent as against 2.7 per cent in June, credit information company Crif High Mark said. The microlending universe is facing multiple headwinds for the past several months, and the regulator has blamed industry practices, including multiple lending to the same borrower by different entities and charging usurious interest rates with a view to expand profits as among the problems. The last few months have seen a drop in collection efficiencies, and the industry has swung into action with corrective steps that are leading to a dip in the overall outstandings. Data from the credit information company said only non-banking financia

Stress in microfinance sector doubles in April to September period: RBI

Earlier, the RBI had warned that some NBFCs, including MFIs, were adopting a "growth-at-any-cost" approach and cautioned that regulatory action would be taken if necessary

Microfinance growth to nosedive to 4% in FY25, says CareEdge Ratings

Lenders slam brakes on disbursals amid rising stress

Microfinance loan book shrinks by 3.7% sequentially to Rs 4.08 trn in Sep

However, the GLP grew by 8.5 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 4.08 trillion in September 2024, up from Rs 3.76 trillion in September 2023

MFIN to further tighten norms for micro-loans from January 2025

Reduces MFIs per borrower to three from four

SME, microfinance stress to add pressure on IIFL's asset quality: Fitch

Affirms IIFL Finance's long-term rating; removes from rating watch negative

Bumps on MFI road: Microfinance biz turns cautious as delinquencies rise

Business correspondents have helped deepen banking penetration in the nearly two decades they have been around. Can they play a role on the field for MFIs?

Microlenders under RBI lens for 'netting off' loans; all you need to know

During its FY24 annual inspection of banks and NBFCs, the RBI flagged concerns regarding the widespread use of 'netting off' in microfinance loans

Spandana Sphoorty plunges 16% on weak Q2 results; tanks 69% from 52-wk high

The microfinance lender suffered a consolidated loss of Rs 216 crore in the second quarter ended September 2024 (Q2FY25) due to higher credit cost due to an increase in delinquencies

Microfinance institutions must refrain from reckless lending: DFS secretary

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) have played a crucial role in fostering financial inclusion but they should refrain from any reckless lending, Financial Services Secretary M Nagaraju said on Wednesday. "We should all be careful on this. Any reckless or poor underwriting norms regarding lending to Self Help Groups (SHGs) or Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) will only harm the sector," he said at an event organised by Sa-Dhan here. Anything that will impact their capacity to repay back will actually harm MFIs, he said. "So, we should be very careful in what we lend, when we lend and how we lend because their financial literacy is limitedtheir exposure to the outside world is limited. We should not capitalize on that. We should actually try to empower them, provide the needed finance and also ensure hand holding so that they flourish," he said. Nagaraju said under the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme, there are more than 77 lakh groups with Rs 2.6 lakh crore outstanding loans benefitting about

RBI cracks down on shadow banks over high-interest loans, rule violations

The Reserve Bank of India ordered four shadow banks to stop sanctioning new loans because of high interest rate charges to customers

MFIN to review compliance of its members with norms on indebtedness

Stock-taking in November to include cap on number of lenders per borrower

Microfinance body MFIN tightens underwriting guidelines for members

The microfinance industry's self-regulatory body MFIN on Tuesday announced that it has tightened loan underwriting guidelines for its members amid concerns about over-indebtedness among the borrowers. Micro Finance Industry Network (MFIN) said the revised guidelines take care of current challenges in lending, wherein a lender does not get data on monthly outflows from a household on account of previous loans or even the 'bullet repayments' wherein money is paid at the end of a loan period. Microlenders are carrying out varying practices at present, and hence, MFIN has issued the guidelines to ensure "uniformity in the treatment", and help lenders to have a robust underwriting policy dealing with cases of bullet repayments/missing EMIs. The body, however, did not elaborate on the exact steps undertaken. It can be noted that there have been concerns around over-indebtedness among MFI borrowers, wherein a single borrower has been given over five loans in many cases. Some of the indus

Piramal Capital and Housing Finance eyeing to double retail AUM in 3 years

To enter gold loans, microfinance loans, and co-branded card segment; Co. to tap the dollar bond market soon

Microfinance growth driven more by lenders' loan disbursement than demand

Borrowers are being chased by different kinds of lenders -- universal banks, small finance banks, NBFCs, MFIs and fintechs

Growth and credit cost concerns mar microfinance sector prospects

The rapid growth in AUM in the last two years may have led to potential over-leverage by borrowers