New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) unveiled a groundbreaking initiative that will help transform the landscape for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India. Deputy Governor of the RBI, T Rabi Sankar, announced the program that can potentially revolutionise credit access for MSMEs.
The RBI has initiated an extensive program that centers around assessing the viability of a ‘Public Tech Platform for Seamless Credit.’ The program seeks to aid and improve the process of credit delivery by financial institutions to increase financial inclusion in the country.
The Public Tech Platform for Seamless Credit, developed under the patronage of the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) is set to evolve into a comprehensive digital solution featuring open architecture, open application programming interfaces (APIs), and standardised protocols, a setup that will enable all banks to effortlessly link up in a “Plug and Play” model.
The primary objective of this public tech platform is to disentangle the credit appraisal process, making it more attainable and efficient for both lenders and borrowers. By creating a unified platform for all necessary information, RBI’s initiative will eradicate friction in the process of credit access for MSMEs.
The platform will collect data from several sources, namely, the central and state governments, Account Aggregators (AA), banks, digital identity authorities and credit information companies. It will also be able to provide a comprehensive view of the financial profiles of applicants in an attempt to improve MSMEs’ credit access.
Sankar, in his announcement, highlighted the significance of this initiative in advancing financial inclusion and empowering the MSME sector.
The RBI’s dedication to promoting financial inclusion falls in line with the broader objectives of the Indian government and the central bank to nurture the growth and progress of MSMEs, which play a pivotal role in the nation’s economic well-being.
The launch of the Public Tech Platform for Seamless Credit represents a substantial stride toward establishing a more powerful and accessible ecosystem of credit for MSMEs in India. This initiative has the potential to provide MSMEs with the opportunities to expand, thrive and innovate in an increasingly competitive landscape.
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