Annex

Detail of Session description:

10th Eastern India Microfinance Summit 2025 provides a vital platform for collaboration across MFIs, banks, fintechs, investors, regulators, and civil society. It offers an opportunity to share lessons, address challenges, and co-create strategies for a resilient sector that protects borrowers, inspires investor trust, and accelerates India’s journey toward becoming a developed nation.

Inaugural session
Speakers in the Inaugural Session will deliberate on the following topics

• 1. Aligning sectoral goals with national development priorities for a Viksit Bharat: Explore how microfinance can directly contribute to India’s vision of inclusive growth by 2047, linking borrower-level outcomes to national development priorities such as poverty reduction, women’s empowerment, and financial resilience.
• 2. Microfinance as a platform for women’s economic empowerment: Discuss how microfinance can move beyond credit to catalyze entrepreneurship, livelihoods, and leadership opportunities for women, making gender-intentional strategies central to sectoral growth.
• 3. Beyond Credit: Integrating savings, insurance, and social Protection: Examine the case for holistic financial services—savings, insurance, and safety nets—that strengthen household resilience and position MFIs as comprehensive enablers of financial well-being.
• 4. Policy and regulatory evolution for a mature microfinance sector: Consider the future regulatory landscape for microfinance, focusing on how the Government, RBI and SROs can balance innovation with prudential safeguards to enable responsible and sustainable growth.

Session 1: Strengthening Trust and Borrower Protection through Compliance with the Guardrails/Sankalp

Session Overview

Trust is the cornerstone of microfinance. In the recent past the sector has grappled with skepticism from borrowers, regulators, and investors alike. The introduction of Guardrails/Sankalp has played a significant role in rebuilding this trust by enforcing responsible practices and ensuring client well-being. With evidence from MFIN, Sa-Dhan and credit bureaus showing steady improvements in compliance quarter after quarter, the sector is demonstrating resilience, transparency, and accountability. This session will highlight how adherence to these standards not only protects borrowers but also strengthens institutional stability making microfinance a credible sector to support and invest in.

Key Discussion Points:

• ● How are the Guardrails/Sankalp strengthening borrower protection and sector resilience?
• ● What evidence do we have (MFIN, Sa-Dhan and credit bureau data) of improved compliance and its impact on borrower well-being?
• ● In what ways does compliance with guardrails rebuild confidence among regulators, lenders, and investors?
• ● How can data-driven monitoring help mitigate risks and reinforce accountability across the sector?
• ● What steps can institutions take to ensure that trust remains central to microfinance’s long-term sustainability?

Session 2: Re-designing Microfinance for achieving Viksit Bharat goal
Session Overview

As India moves towards the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the microfinance sector must evolve beyond its traditional foundations to play a transformative role in local economic growth and poverty reduction. The group-lending model, which has been the bedrock of microfinance, now requires rethinking to meet the aspirations of borrowers and the demands of a rapidly changing economy. This session will focus on the foundational redesign of microfinance—through innovative products and services, use of technology, and a renewed emphasis on increasing livelihood options and income streams. It will also explore the role of high-quality client service, HR systems that build strong institutional capacity, and how microfinance can contribute more directly to local economies and community resilience. By aligning practices with national development goals, the sector can reposition itself as a driver of sustainable prosperity for millions of households.

Key Discussion Points

• ● What foundational aspects of the group-lending model need rethinking to better serve evolving borrower needs?
• ● How can new products and services expand livelihood opportunities, diversify income streams, and contribute to local economies?
• ● In what ways can technology and AI enhance credit design, delivery, and customer experience?
• ● How can institutions strengthen HR systems to ensure motivated staff and sustained sector growth?
• ● What does a high-quality service framework look like and how can it build lasting trust with borrowers?
• ● What should the 5–10 year roadmap for microfinance redesign include to maximize developmental impact and inclusivity?

Session 3: Building a Safe Credit Ecosystem for Low-Income Borrowers through Shared Responsibility

Rapid expansion of retail lending alongside microfinance has raised concerns of over-indebtedness among low-income households, risking both borrower stability and institutional credibility. Addressing this challenge requires a shared responsibility model that goes beyond individual institutions. Regulators must set clear rules and guardrails, lenders must adopt responsible practices, SROs must enforce industry standards, fintech companies must embed safeguards in digital credit models, and customers themselves must be empowered through financial literacy and discipline. Other financial sector players also play a role in ensuring that credit supports livelihoods and resilience rather than creating unsustainable debt cycles. This session will examine how collaboration across all these stakeholders can create a safer, more inclusive and sustainable credit ecosystem aligned with the goals of Viksit Bharat.

Key Discussion Points:

• ● What are the latest trends and evidence on borrower over-indebtedness in low-income segments, and how do they impact sector stability?
• ● How can regulators, SROs, and policymakers strengthen oversight to ensure borrower protection while enabling responsible growth?
• ● What responsibilities do lenders (MFIs, banks, NBFCs, fintechs) share in preventing debt stress and maintaining customer well-being?
• ● How can customers be engaged through financial literacy, awareness, and discipline to take shared ownership of responsible credit use?
• ● What role can fintech companies play in building safer digital credit models that balance access, affordability, and protection?
• ● How can investor groups, and other financial sector organizations contribute to shaping a credit environment that promotes resilience and sustainable livelihoods?
• ● What models of collaboration across stakeholders can ensure that inclusive finance does not compromise on safety and long-term stability?