SLCM’s Kissandhan scheme extends ₹103 crore loan to women farmers in 2 years

Posted on by

SohanLal Commodity Management (SLCM), leading agri-logistics player, on Wednesday announced that as much as ₹103.74 crore have been disbursed under its Kissandhan scheme to 25,215 women entrepreneurs in last two years after launch of the scheme.

The initiative, started around mid-October 2021, has been instrumental in the lives of these women entrepreneurs in agriculture and allied spaces, by providing them with financial stability and the means to enhance their farming ventures, the company said in a statement.

Average loan size

“With an average micro-level loan size of less than ₹50,000, which manifests the granularity and reach of the initiative, Kissandhan framework entails an inclusive eligibility criterion that meticulously assesses both financial as well as non-financial parameters,” it said.

Sandeep Sabharwal, chief executive officer of SLCM group, which is also into warehousing services, said that path of women farmers often riddled with challenges such as little or no access to resources, lack of financial support and inclusion, limited market access and societal norms, despite their immense contribution in the agrarian economy. “Kissandhan initiative is a game changer that breaks barriers and creates opportunities for thousands of women farmers, ushering in transformative changes in their lives,” he said.

Elaborating the scheme, Sabharwal said that business correspondents, who are acting as representatives of Banks and Financial Institutions have been providing banking services in remote areas where access to traditional banking is limited. Kissandhan Agri Financial Services, the NBFC arm of SLCM group, has been able to disburse about ₹2,814 crore so far to all sections in the agri eco system.

“Women are an integral part of the economic development of the country. By providing financial resources to these women beneficiaries, Kissandhan not only enables these women to achieve economic independence, but it also fosters an entrepreneurial and self-reliance culture,” said Naresh Kumar, chief business officer of Kissandhan Agri Financial Services.