SIDBI expands network with 71 new branches; direct MSME credit portfolio grows 36.8 pc: Govt
New Delhi, August 4
The Small Industries Development Bank of India has expanded its nationwide presence by opening 71 new branches across the country while its direct credit outstanding portfolio for micro, small and medium enterprises grew 36.8 per cent year-on-year, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said SIDBI opened 71 new branches between April 1, 2024 and July 29, 2026 following the Union Budget 2024-25 announcement. The new branches have been established to serve major MSME clusters and strengthen direct credit delivery to the sector.
According to the reply, SIDBI's direct credit outstanding portfolio stood at Rs 51,687 crore as on March 31, 2026, compared with Rs 37,781 crore a year earlier, registering a year-on-year growth of 36.8 per cent.
The minister said SIDBI also continued to strengthen credit flow to MSMEs through refinance support to Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs). Its refinance outstanding portfolio increased to Rs 4,50,571 crore as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,85,327 crore a year earlier, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 16.9 per cent.
The reply further said SIDBI has introduced several initiatives to improve credit access for underserved MSMEs. These include co-lending arrangements with Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to provide affordable credit to smaller enterprises, while during FY2025-26 the bank also initiated co-lending partnerships with Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) to broaden financial access in underserved and untapped areas.
Among other initiatives, SIDBI has launched the Prayaas Scheme to facilitate affordable credit for informal micro-entrepreneurs, particularly women and economically weaker sections. It has also introduced the GST Sahay app, which provides 'on tap' invoice-based, cash flow-based small-value credit to micro enterprises using trade data and digital frameworks.
The minister also said the government introduced the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0) in May 2026, under which eligible MSMEs can avail additional credit of up to 20 per cent of their peak fund-based working capital outstanding during the fourth quarter of FY2025-26.
The scheme provides 100 per cent guarantee coverage to Member Lending Institutions for eligible MSME borrowers and envisages an additional credit flow of Rs 2.55 lakh crore for MSMEs, non-MSMEs and scheduled passenger airlines.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Prayaas Scheme for women entrepreneurs is a much-needed step! I work with several self-help groups in rural Karnataka and many women face endless paperwork just to get small loans. If this scheme genuinely reaches them without middlemen, it will be a game-changer for financial inclusion. Let's wait and see the actual implementation.
Numbers look impressive on paper but the real test is whether these loans reach MSMEs on ground. I've seen many businesses in my hometown struggle despite all these schemes - banks still demand collateral which small vendors can't provide. Hope the co-lending with NBFCs and RRBs really simplifies the process. Also, ECLGS 5.0 needs to be simpler for small borrowers.
Finally some focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities! 🎉 The new branches should help local businesses in clusters like Tirupur, Ludhiana, and Surat. But I hope the GST Sahaj app is easy for people who are not tech-savvy. My father runs a small textile unit and he still depends on his accountant for everything digital. Please keep a human touch in banking too!
As someone who supplies to Indian MSMEs regularly, I've seen how difficult financing has been for them. This is a positive step toward strengthening the backbone of the Indian economy. The 16.9% growth in refinance support is also encouraging. India getting serious about MSME growth will definitely boost the manufacturing story in the long run.
Good numbers but let's be honest - why did it take so long? MSMEs
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