Role of Nabard in Microfinance।What is NABARD and its role?।
Role of Nabard in Microfinance
Role of Nabard in Microfinance:NABARD, or the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, plays a crucial role in the microfinance sector in India. As a development bank, NABARD’s primary objective is to promote and develop agriculture and rural sectors in the country. In pursuit of this objective, it has been actively involved in promoting and supporting microfinance institutions (MFIs) and self-help groups (SHGs) to provide financial services to the poor and underserved sections of society.
One of NABARD’s primary roles in the microfinance sector is to provide refinancing facilities to MFIs and other financial institutions that lend to the poor. NABARD offers low-cost refinance facilities to these institutions to help them expand their outreach and provide affordable credit to their clients. It also provides them with technical assistance and capacity-building support to help them improve their operations and become more sustainable over time.
NABARD has also been instrumental in promoting the formation and strengthening of SHGs, particularly among women in rural areas. These SHGs act as a platform for women to come together, save small amounts of money regularly, and access credit from banks and MFIs. NABARD has been providing financial and technical support to SHGs for their formation, capacity building, and linkage with banks and other financial institutions.
In addition to its financing and capacity-building roles, NABARD also acts as a regulator and supervisor of MFIs in the country. It has put in place a set of regulations and guidelines for the operation of MFIs and SHGs, and it monitors their compliance with these guidelines regularly.
Overall, NABARD’s role in microfinance has been crucial in promoting financial inclusion and improving the lives of the poor and underserved sections of society. Its support to MFIs and SHGs has helped them expand their outreach and improve their operations, leading to greater access to financial services for the poor.
NABARD has been involved in various initiatives aimed at promoting financial inclusion in the country. For example, it has launched the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF), which is a corpus of funds that are used to support various financial inclusion initiatives across the country. The FIF provides funding for activities such as financial literacy, credit counseling, and the development of innovative financial products for the poor.
Another important role that NABARD plays in the microfinance sector is the development of innovative financial products and services that cater to the needs of the poor. It has been instrumental in launching various products such as Kisan Credit Cards, Rural Infrastructure Development Fund, and Micro Credit Innovations Fund, among others. These products have helped to provide affordable credit to the rural poor and have contributed to the development of rural infrastructure and entrepreneurship.
NABARD has also been actively involved in promoting sustainable agriculture practices in the country. It has been providing financial and technical support to farmers for the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices, water conservation, and natural resource management. By promoting sustainable agriculture practices, NABARD is helping to improve the livelihoods of farmers and reduce the impact of climate change.
In conclusion, NABARD plays a crucial role in the microfinance sector in India by providing financial and technical support to MFIs and SHGs, promoting financial inclusion, developing innovative financial products and services, and promoting sustainable agriculture practices. Its initiatives have contributed significantly to the development of the rural economy and improved the lives of the poor and underserved sections of society.
Apart from its role in promoting financial inclusion and sustainable agriculture practices, NABARD also plays a significant role in promoting rural development in the country. It provides funding for various rural development initiatives such as irrigation projects, rural roads, and electrification projects, among others. It also provides technical assistance and capacity-building support to rural development institutions to improve their effectiveness in delivering development services.
NABARD has also been involved in promoting digital financial services in the country. It has been providing support to MFIs and banks for the development of digital payment platforms, mobile banking services, and other innovative digital financial products. These initiatives have helped to increase financial inclusion, particularly among the rural poor, and have contributed to the digitization of the Indian economy.
In addition to its role in promoting rural development and digital financial services, NABARD also plays an important role in promoting sustainable and inclusive growth in the country. It supports various initiatives aimed at improving the livelihoods of the poor and marginalized sections of society, such as women and tribal communities. It has also been involved in promoting sustainable development practices and environmental conservation in rural areas.
Overall, NABARD’s role in promoting rural development, financial inclusion, and sustainable growth in the country is crucial. Its initiatives have contributed significantly to the development of the rural economy and have helped to improve the lives of millions of people in India.
What is NABARD and its role?
What is NABARD and its role:NABARD stands for National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. It is an apex development bank in India that caters to the needs of agriculture and rural development. NABARD was established in 1982 to implement the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act, 1981.
The role of NABARD is to:
Provide credit and financial support to the agriculture and rural sectors: NABARD provides credit and financial support to farmers, rural artisans, and other stakeholders in the agriculture and rural sectors. It provides loans to farmers, rural entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and other organizations involved in agriculture and rural development.
Develop rural infrastructure: NABARD also helps in the development of rural infrastructure by providing financial assistance to state governments, local bodies, and other agencies involved in rural development activities.
Promote agricultural and rural innovation: NABARD also promotes agricultural and rural innovation by funding research and development projects related to agriculture and rural development.
Monitor and evaluate rural development programs: NABARD monitors and evaluates the impact of various rural development programs and schemes implemented by the government and other agencies.
Overall, NABARD plays a crucial role in the development of agriculture and rural sectors in India.
Here are some more details about NABARD and its functions:
Refinance facilities: NABARD provides refinance facilities to banks, regional rural banks (RRBs), and other financial institutions for their lending to agriculture and rural development sectors. This helps in channelizing institutional credit to these sectors at a reasonable cost.
Capacity building: NABARD also provides capacity building support to farmers, rural entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders in the agriculture and rural sectors. It conducts various training programs, workshops, and seminars to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Rural development initiatives: NABARD undertakes various rural development initiatives, such as watershed development, dairy development, and animal husbandry, to promote sustainable and inclusive rural development.
Promotion of microfinance: NABARD promotes microfinance by providing refinance facilities to microfinance institutions (MFIs) and supporting the development of self-help groups (SHGs) and other community-based organizations.
Promoting financial inclusion: NABARD also plays a significant role in promoting financial inclusion in rural areas by supporting the establishment of rural banks, financial literacy campaigns, and other initiatives.
Social development: NABARD has also been involved in social development initiatives such as promoting women empowerment, providing clean drinking water, and sanitation facilities in rural areas, among others.

FAQ’S
NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)
Q.What is the role of NABARD in microfinance?
A.NABARD’s role in microfinance includes providing refinancing facilities to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and other financial intermediaries, promoting financial inclusion in rural areas, and providing capacity building and training support to MFIs.
Q.How does NABARD provide refinancing facilities to MFIs?
A.NABARD provides refinancing facilities to MFIs in the form of credit facilities, such as loans and working capital. These facilities help MFIs to provide microcredit and other financial services to low-income households and micro-enterprises in rural areas.
Q.What is NABARD’s role in promoting financial inclusion?
A.NABARD promotes financial inclusion in rural areas by encouraging the establishment of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and promoting their linkage with banks and other financial institutions. It also provides support to rural banks and cooperatives to expand their outreach and improve their service delivery.
Q.How does NABARD provide capacity building and training support to MFIs?
A.NABARD provides capacity building and training support to MFIs through its various training and development programs. These programs aim to enhance the skills and knowledge of MFIs in the areas of microfinance, credit management, risk management, and governance.
Q.How has NABARD’s role in microfinance evolved over the years?
A.NABARD’s role in microfinance has evolved over the years from being a mere regulator to a facilitator of the microfinance sector. It has played a critical role in promoting the growth and development of the sector, improving the quality of microfinance services, and ensuring greater financial inclusion in rural areas.
Overall, NABARD’s role in microfinance has been instrumental in promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth in rural areas and empowering low-income households and micro-enterprises.
Q.What is NABARD’s role in microfinance?
A.NABARD’s role in microfinance includes providing refinancing facilities to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and other financial intermediaries, promoting financial inclusion in rural areas, and providing capacity building and training support to MFIs.
Q.How does NABARD provide refinancing facilities to MFIs?
A.NABARD provides refinancing facilities to MFIs in the form of credit facilities, such as loans and working capital. These facilities help MFIs to provide microcredit and other financial services to low-income households and micro-enterprises in rural areas.
Q.What is NABARD’s role in promoting financial inclusion?
A.NABARD promotes financial inclusion in rural areas by encouraging the establishment of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and promoting their linkage with banks and other financial institutions. It also provides support to rural banks and cooperatives to expand.
Providing Refinance: NABARD provides refinance to eligible financial institutions like regional rural banks, cooperative banks, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) that extend credit to the rural poor. This enables these institutions to offer affordable and accessible credit to the poor.
Capacity Building: NABARD provides technical assistance and training to various stakeholders involved in microfinance, including MFIs, self-help groups (SHGs).