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This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (January 2017) |
| Type | Microfinance Organisation[1] |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial services |
| Founded | February 17, 2012 |
| Founder | Ananya Birla |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, India |
Area served | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Assam, Tripura, Karnataka |
| Products | Microfinance |
| AUM | ₹7,000 crore (in 2023) |
| Website | http://www.svatantramicrofin.com/ |
Svatantra Microfin (Sanskrit: स्वतंत्र; Svatantra, "freedom" in Hindi) is a mid-size Indian microfinance organisation based in Mumbai.[2] Since receiving a license from the Reserve Bank of India in 2013, Svatantra has encouraged entrepreneurship in rural areas, primarily amongst women.[3][4]
Svatantra Microfin was founded in 2012 by Ananya Birla, Co-Chairperson of ASSOCHAM’s Microfinance Council of India and daughter of Indian industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla.[5][6] Svatantra was established with the aim of addressing the growing income gap in India and the financial inclusion of rural women.[7]
In 2014, the organisation won the Gold Award in the start-up category of the Skoch Financial Inclusion and Deepening Award.[8]
The company declared profitability in three and a half years.[9]
Svatantra was the first microfinance institution to receive the non-banking financial company-Microfinance Institution (NBFC-MFI) license from the Reserve Bank of India.[10] Beginning in 2016, ICRA rated Svatanta A− with a stable outlook for the ₹100.00 crore bank facilities[11] and an MFI grade of M3+, stating that the company is able to manage its microfinance activities in a sustainable manner.[12]
In 2017, Svatantra launched Saathi, an end-to-end cashless service.[11] Svatantra also uses Aadhaar to determine credit scores using biometric identification.[8] The company also has a Mediclaim product.[11]
Svatantra has 100% cashless disbursements[13] and has the lowest lending rates of any MFI in India.[14]
Svatantra Microfin has ₹7,000 crore of assets under management.[14] The company has 804+ branches spread across 19 states.[10][12] The company is currently funded by nine financial institutions, including public and private sector banks and NBFCs.[12]
In August 2023, it was announced that Svatantra Microfin had acquired the Bengaluru-headquartered microfinance company, Chaitanya Microfinance, from Navi Group for $178.5 million.[15] In November 2023, Svatantra Microfin successfully concluded the acquisition of Sachin Bansal-backed Chaitanya Microfinance.[16]
Svatantra's Microcredit policy is based on a group lending model, in which participants take out unsecured loans to finance businesses or other sources of revenue while serving as one another's group's surety, ensuring repayments through peer pressure.[3]
It offers livelihood-related loans at 19.25–20.00% interest rate, lowest in India.[14] It disburses money through National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT); and helps its clients open bank accounts.[5]