Micro
Credit is defined as provision of thrift, credit and other financial
services and products of very small amount to the poor in rural, semi-urban and
urban areas for enabling them to raise their income levels and improve living
standards. Banks have discretion to devise appropriate loan and savings
products and the related terms and conditions including size of the loan, unit
cost, unit size, maturity period, grace period, margins, etc. Such credit
covers not only consumption and production loans for various farm and non-farm
activities of the poor but also include their other credit needs such as
housing and shelter improvements. Banks, NBFCs, NGOs and other
institutions/organizations are allowed to undertake activities relating to
Micro Credit in
SHG is a registered or
unregistered group of micro entrepreneurs having homogenous social and economic
background voluntarily, coming together to save small amounts regularly, to
mutually agree to contribute to a common fund and to meet their emergency needs
on mutual help basis. The group members use collective wisdom and peer pressure
to ensure proper end-use of credit and timely repayment thereof. It is aimed to
inculcate saving habit and encourage thrift to undertake lending among the
members. In the process, it boosts the confidence to carry out the activities
with ease and paves the way for self-reliance. The membership of the group
could be between 10 to 25 members. If more than 20 members are there, the group
should be registered.
Pre-requisites for financing: Groups with 6 months of savings, regular meetings, regular thrift habit and habituated internal lending and ‘A’ or ‘B’ rating as per Critical Rating Index are eligible for bank finance.
