M Nagaraju, Secretary,DFS handed over sanction tickets to SHG groups at the Mega Outreach Programme at Bhubaneswar
On a warm afternoon at Indian Bank’s Microsate branch in Chetpet, Chennai, the usual quiet of a bank is replaced by a lively energy. Conversations, laughter, and a sense of purpose fill the space—driven by women charting new financial paths.
Among them is 44-year-old P Uma from Otteri, beaming as she talks about her booming business selling handmade soaps and herbal hair oils. Once buried under ₹5 lakh in debt to moneylenders, Uma joined a Self-Help Group (SHG) a decade ago. Today, she has cleared her dues, funds her children’s education, and dreams of expanding her product line.
Nearby, Hemalatha, 35, from Kolathur, shares her journey. A former call centre employee, she left her job to care for her ailing child. With SHG support and timely credit from Indian Bank, she now runs a thriving online business selling jewellery and sarees.
Behind these individual journeys lies a transformative movement: the SHG Credit Programme of Indian Bank. By providing accessible, low-cost credit to women-led groups, the bank is helping thousands of families increase their monthly incomes, meet essential needs, and gradually lift themselves out of economic vulnerability.
In a rapidly transforming India, the Self-Help Group (SHG) movement stands as a beacon of grassroots empowerment—and Indian Bank is at its heart. From participating in a World Bank pilot in Tamil Nadu in 1989 to embracing SHG lending following RBI’s 1992 guidelines, the bank has steadily grown its outreach.
In just five years, its SHG loan book has surged from under ₹6,000 crore to ₹22,000 crore—making it the fourth-largest public sector bank in SHG financing.
“This isn’t just about giving loans,” says Shiv Bajrang Singh, Executive Director at Indian Bank. “It’s about empowering women, supporting enterprises, and helping communities stand on their own.”
With over 5 lakh SHGs in its portfolio, Indian Bank has a strong presence across southern and eastern India—regions rich in agriculture and micro-enterprises. The bank now aims to extend its SHG reach to underserved states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.
At a recent Mega SHG Credit Outreach Programme in Bhubaneswar, the bank sanctioned over ₹509.91 crore to 9,961 SHGs. Attended by M. Nagaraju, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Union Ministry of Finance, and Indian Bank’s MD & CEO Binod Kumar, the event underscored the strategic importance of SHG lending in driving local entrepreneurship.
For FY2025-26, Indian Bank has set an ambitious ₹20,000 crore SHG credit target. By 2027, it aims to grow its SHG
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