The Bharat Microfinance Report 2015

This report collects primary data on microfinance institutions (MFIs) and self-help groups (SHGs) in India, such as client outreach, loan portfolio and other financials. The report aims to provide analytical information to a wide range of stakeholders such as the Government, policymakers, regulators, banks, investors, researchers, media, MFIs and others, helping them to understand the current status and the underlying trends in the sector in order to make appropriate decisions and actions that are critical for the development of the industry.

For the microfinance sector in India the year 2014-2015 was one of steady growth and stability, though some islands of heavy growth should be a matter of concern. The report highlights the following information:

• MFIs currently operate in 28 States, 5 Union Territories and 568 districts in India. 
• The reported 156 MFIs, with a branch network of 12,221 employees, have reached out to an all time high of 37 million clients with an outstanding loan portfolio of Rs 48,882 crore. 
• MFI sector employs more than 94,500 personnel, out of which 16% are women, and 64% are field staff.
• Active borrowers per credit officer (ABCO) is 419, which is lower than the previous year indicating higher focus on client services and new recruitments.
• The number of SHGs linked to credit and the bank loan amounts given to SHGs has witnessed an increasing trend after 2010-11. However, the growth rate of the number of savings-linked SHGs has experienced a declining trend; to date, 101 million families have been covered under the SHG Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP) with a total number of 7.7 million SHGs with a savings amount of Rs 113 billion.