Microfinance accounts in state cross 1 crore, portfolio Rs 58K crore
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Bengaluru: Karnataka currently has 1,07,79,050 active microfinance loan accounts with a portfolio of nearly Rs 57,989.57 crore, establishing it as a leading state for the microfinance industry.
The top five districts by number of accounts are Belagavi, Mysuru, Bengaluru (Rural and Urban), Tumukuru and Mandya, while in terms of portfolio size, Bengaluru (rural and urban), Belagavi, Mysuru, Tumakuru and Mandya lead the state, according to data presented at Microfinance Karnataka Summit 2026 on Wednesday.
Pankaj Naik, director of banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), India Ratings, said: “Due to the ongoing climate change, it is important that microfunding climate is taken into consideration as many people lose their business to natural calamities.”
During the summit, panel discussions on microfinance and inclusive growth focused on increasing employment opportunities and rural economies and the role of microfunding in strengthening micro enterprises and supporting rural livelihoods in Karnataka.
Jiji Mammen, executive director and CEO of Sa-Dhan, said, “Microfinance’s ability to bounce back after the Covid-19 pandemic challenge demonstrates the fundamental strength and critical role of community connect in financial service delivery.” Experts said microfinance remained a powerful tool for supporting women entrepreneurs, particularly in backward and rural areas and industries aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs through credit linkage, market access and capacity building have shown promising results with 30% increase in average incomes of beneficiaries.
The summit was organised by the Association of Karnataka Microfinance Institutions.