Indian Bank is open to lending to MSMEs under special mention accounts, says CEO Shanti Lal Jain
Indian Bank is set to extend loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Special Mention Account (SMA) category, following a government guarantee announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2024. In an exclusive interview, Managing Director and CEO Shanti Lal Jain expressed the bank’s commitment, stating, “We’re open to lending, especially to our customers in SMA 1 and SMA 2, who are eligible for this guarantee.”
The Finance Minister introduced a mechanism aimed at ensuring ongoing bank credit for MSMEs facing stress. This initiative is designed to support MSMEs when they reach the SMA stage due to uncontrollable circumstances, preventing them from falling into non-performing asset (NPA) categories.
Sitharaman noted that this credit support would be backed by a government-sponsored fund, enhancing banks' internal capacities to evaluate MSMEs for credit. She emphasized that a new credit assessment model will be developed, focusing on the digital footprints of MSMEs, rather than relying solely on traditional asset or turnover metrics, making it more inclusive for businesses without formal accounting systems.
Regarding the collection efficiency of MSMEs for the April–June quarter, Jain attributed the decline to several factors, including heat waves, general elections, and seasonal variations. He reported a 2% decrease in collection efficiency in the MSME segment, both year-over-year and sequentially, contributing to a 1% overall drop in collection efficiency from 96% to 95%.
READ MORE
















