Over 500 SHG Women from 30 Districts Participated
Bhubaneswar : Microfinance institutions have played a significant role in expanding financial inclusion and women entrepreneurships in Odisha by extending a wide range of financial services to customers living in remote and underserved areas of the state. In addition to credit services, these institutions have also contributed strongly towards financial and digital literacy, social security, and other essential services, speakers highlighted during the 7th State-Level Financial Inclusion Conclave held at a local hotel in Bhubaneswar.
The conclave was inaugurated by the Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shri Sarada Prasan Mohanty, who appreciated the contributions of microfinance institutions in strengthening financial inclusion across Odisha. Addressing the gathering, he advised to Womenof Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to borrow responsibly based on their need and repayment capacity and repay loans on time.
The conclave was chaired by Shri Dibyajyoti Pattnaik, President, OSAFII who stated that microfinance institutions have supported with about Rs. 18,000 crores to women SHG/JLG Members for their various income generation including small businesses, household industries, water and sanitation, and housing construction. He also noted that these institutions have provided employment to more than 15,000 youth in Odisha. Shri Pattanaik further said that OSAFII will expand and multiply its enterprise development support in the coming days for the overall development of the state.
Shri Narendra Nayak, CEO, OSAFII informed that OSAFII has been promoting financial inclusion programmes in collaboration with various Government & and private institutions, Banks, the Reserve Bank of India, SIDBI, NABARD, and other organisations operating in Odisha.
The conclave also witnessed participation from several prominent dignitaries and stakeholders including Shri Michael Schlein,
(President, ACCIOM), Shri Padmalochan Rautaray (Mission Shakti), Shri K. Balaji (State Bank of India), Shri Pradyumna Kumar Choudhury (SIDBI), Shri Chandan Thakur (Sa-Dhan), Shri Ganesh Narayanan (CreditAccess Grameen), Smt. Abha Mishra (UNDP), Shri Sibu K (ESAF Small Finance Bank), Shri S.K. Mitra (Jan Kalyan Sanstha), Dr. Debashish Mohapatra (KIIT), Shri Mohan Baliyarsingh Singh (Sampark), Shri Deepak Nath, Cyber Security Expert, Shri Susanta Sahu, Kotak Life and representative from HDFC Life, and OSAFII Board Members Shri Alok Pattnayak, Ajit Kumar Sabat, Amulya Sahu, Shri Prashant Sahu, Ashish Kumar Das, Anjan Prusty, Govind Dash, Jugal Kishore Pattanayak among others.
The speakers discussed various aspects of financial inclusion, women entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and related issues. More than 500 Women SHG Members from 30 districts of Odisha participated in the conclave.
