Governance Practices among Microfinance Institutions in India

• by MSC
• Jun 15, 2015
• 1 min
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SIDBI’s PSIG programme commissioned MicroSave to assess the “as-is” status of key corporate governance models followed by Indian MFIs,

Governance has assumed increasing importance in the Indian microfinance sector over the last few years. With the growth in portfolio and outreach of MFIs, intense competition and stricter regulations, the governance practices of MFIs needed to adapt quickly. Strong governance not only contributes to robust growth of the institution but also avoids the possibility of mission drift. There is a need for prudent corporate governance structure to prevent MFIs from committing the same mistakes they made earlier, which led to a crisis-like situation in the Indian microfinance industry in 2010.

In the light of this context, SIDBI’s PSIG programme commissioned MicroSave to assess the “as-is” status of key corporate governance models followed by Indian MFIs, boards’ roles and responsibilities, executive management and oversight, level of involvement in policy development, corporate oversight and strategic planning process and so on.

The study was accomplished and the report was launched in a conference-cum-workshop on June 3, 2015. The conference was attended by industry stakeholders comprising microfinance practitioners, donors and investors, lenders, and industry experts. The conference presentation captures the summary of the report titled, “Governance Practices among MFIs in India” and provides a snapshot of the governance models adopted by MFIs in India.