The Fair Practices Code document codifies the procedures to ensure clarity, transparency, Timelines, and responsiveness in the financial institution’s relationship with the borrower customers at all stages like marketing, processing, sanctioning, monitoring, and administration. The guidelines on the Fair Practices Code issued to various Regulated Entities (REs) since 2003, inter-alia, advocate fairness and transparency in…
A Joint Liability Group (JLG) is usually an informal group of 4-10 people who seek loans based on a mutual guarantee. The loans are typically used for agriculture or related operations. This group of borrowers includes farmers, rural workers, and tenants. Each member of a JLG is equally liable for the timely repayment of the…
The Reserve Bank of India is the regulator of microfinance institutions in India. The RBI regulations are uniformly applicable to all microfinance lenders including banks, small finance banks, NBFC, and not-for-profit companies (regulated entities –RE). The provisions of Reserve Bank of India (Regulatory Framework for Microfinance Loans) Directions, 2022 The annual household income level…
The delivery of microfinance institutions (MFIs) around the world follows a variety of different methodologies for the provision of financial services to low–income families. The Task Force constituted by NABARD in 1998 to arrive at a conceptual policy framework encompassing issues in policy, regulation, financing, and capacity building, for sustainable growth of Micro Finance in…
RBI on Wednesday(July 3, 2024) today advised all authorised dealers that the earlier circular A.P.(DIR Series) Circular No. 16 dated September 12, 2002, A.P.(DIR Series) Circular No. 55 dated December 23, 2003 and A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No.118 dated May 07, 2012, has since been withdrawn with immediate effect and Authorised Dealers shall obtain…
The concept of Grameen Bank has its roots in Grameen Bank of Bangladesh which was developed by the Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus. By establishing Grameen Bank in 1983, Muhammad Yunus sought to realise his vision of self-support for the very poorest people using loans on easy terms. The bank has since been a source…
The expression microfinancing has its roots in the 1970s when organizations, such as Grameen Bank of Bangladesh with the microfinance pioneer Mohammad Yunus, were starting and shaping the modern industry of microfinancing. In India, the concept of microfinance first came into existence in 1974 when Mrs. Ela Bhatt started the Self-Employed Women’s Association (‘SEWA’) of…
The RBI on July 2 proposed rationalising regulations that cover export and import transactions to promote ease of doing business and empower banks to provide more efficient service to their foreign exchange customers. “The proposed regulations are intended to promote ease of doing business, especially for small exporters and importers, while sharing the Statement on…
The Reserve Bank vide its circular dated September 28, 2006, issued guidelines on the Fair Practices Code (FPC) for all NBFCs to be adopted by them while doing lending business. The same was revised with the sector including the creation of a New Category of NBFCs viz; NBFC-MFI and the rapid growth in NBFCs lending…
The National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID/NBFID) was established as an infrastructure-focused development financial institution (DFI) under the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Act, 2021 to support the development of long-term non-recourse infrastructure financing in India including the development of bonds and derivatives markets necessary for infrastructure financing and to carry…