To make sure, non-bank lenders are specializing in collateral-backed loans beneath ’10 lakh-a area and ticket-size banks won’t discover too engaging for direct lending.
Within the absence of banks, which concentrate on loans of ’15-20 lakh, NBFCs are discovering development alternatives within the excessive yielding micro-LAP (loan-against property), that are sub-’10 lakh loans. Business executives stated that there are development alternatives provided that the MSME sector stays starved for credit score.
Kirti Timmanagoudar, head of technique and co-lending at IIFL Finance, stated that the majority micro-LAP debtors are from economically weaker sections and low-income teams. These debtors might not have the traditional paperwork that banks search, therefore, underwriting has to transcend conventional strategies corresponding to assessments of stock to estimate money flows.
“That is the place NBFCs have developed experience with on-field expertise in coping with small items in several clusters throughout the nation. Moreover, for banks secured loans beneath ’10 lakh don’t qualify as PSL (precedence sector lending),” Timmanagoudar stated. “We have now seen a bit of microfinance debtors graduating to retail loans and the micro-LAP product is a logical first step. We take residential property as collateral, which acts as an ethical obligation for the debtors to make well timed repayments.”
Cash Ain’t Plentiful
Based on a latest research by Small Industries Improvement Financial institution of India, whereas there was a rise in credit score provide to MSMEs, the sector nonetheless has an addressable credit score hole of about Rs30 lakh crore.
The share of MSME credit score in NBFCs’ general mortgage portfolio rose from 5.9% in FY21 to 9.1% at finish of September 2024. In the identical interval, banks maintained comparatively steady MSME publicity, within the vary of round 16-17%, based on a report by score company CareEdge. MSME lending by NBFCs grew 32% yearly in comparison with 21% for personal banks and 10% for the general public sector banks between FY21 and FY24, it stated.

Although NBFC development is on a smaller base, authorities initiatives like Udyam registration, GST Sahay, and credit score assure schemes, amongst others, are giving confidence for lending, stated business executives.
NBFCs command as excessive as 45% market share within the micro-LAP section. The loans are given with self-occupied residential and even business property because the collateral. That is additionally a excessive yielding enterprise, ranging 16-18%, as a result of operational expenditure and credit score prices are typically on the upper aspect.
The MSME Mortgage Towards Property (LAP) market has grown over 50% from ‘7.5 lakh crore to ‘11.3 lakh crore over the 2 years ending September 2024.
Inside this market, the micro-LAP rose by 60% to ‘1.6 lakh crore in the identical interval, based on CareEdge report.
The rankings company expects this section to be 25% every in FY25 and FY26.