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Unitus MFI Partner: Swayam Krishi Sangam (SKS Microfinance), India
 
-   Unitus – SKS Partnership Details
-   Overview of SKS
-   Current Portfolio Statistics
-   Meet an SKS Micro-Entrepreneur

SKS
www.sksindia.com

UNITUS – SKS PARTNERSHIP DETAILS

End of Partnership Client Growth Goal: 425,000 clients by 2009
   
Key Capacity Building Projects:
    Debt, Grants and Equity, Human Resources, Strategic/Financial Planning, Transformation Strategy
       
  Partnership Grants Disbursed: $90,000
     
  Debt Arranged: $500,000
    In August 2003, Unitus provided a guarantee of $550,000 to SKS India to facilitate a $500,000 two-year local currency loan facility from Citibank India to SKS India
     
  Equity Invested: $472,000
    The Unitus Equity Fund L.P. invested in SKS Microfinance after their transformation into a for-profit NBFC.
     
    March 2006 - Unitus Announces $470,000 Equity Investment in SKS, Microfinance

OVERVIEW OF SKS

Location: Hyderabad, India
First Loan Issued: June 1998
Unitus Partnership Start Date: March 2003
Clients at Partnership Initiation: 10,000

Background: Since launching its operations in June 1998, Swayam Krishi Sangam (SKS) has served some of the poorest women from the lowest-caste families in south eastern India's Deccan Plateau region.

Leadership: SKS Microfinance is led by its founder and CEO, Vikram Akula. In 2006, Vikram was named one of TIME Magazine’s top 100 most influential people.

Vikram Akula  

Product Offerings and Clientele: SKS’s diverse financial products, such as emergency and income-generating loans, help their clients become self-reliant and improve the standard of living for themselves and their families. Clients of SKS most often use their loans for animal husbandry and trading businesses.

Highlights and Growth Strategy: SKS boasts an impressive history of growth – reaching more than 225,000 clients in seven years. More recently, SKS has received global recognition for their leadership in the microfinance field. In February 2005 and in January 2006, the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) awarded SKS an Honorable Mention for meeting stringent industry standards for transparency in financial reporting. In April, 2005, SKS won the Fire Microfinance Process Excellence Award from PlaNet Finance India and ABN AMRO Bank, which recognized MFIs providing top-quality service to clients and exemplifying management best practice. In April, 2006, SKS was the only MFI in India to be awarded a Continued Excellence Award from PlaNet Finance and ABN AMRO.

CURRENT PORTFOLIO STATISTICS

As of November 2007
SKS, India

Clients added since partnership start date Number of Clients FY 07 Projection
1,178,831 1,188,831 1,200,000

Portfolio at Risk >30 days Average Loan Size Portfolio Outstanding
0.4% $136 $139,962,289

*as of December 2005

View portfolio statistics from all Unitus MFI partners

MEET AN SKS MICRO-ENTREPRENEUR

Bayamma Before joining SKS, Bayamma used to work as a seasonal agricultural laborer, earning only 32 cents per day. Using microcredit loans totaling less than $500, this mother of seven was able to start a successful business and release her son from bonded labor.

>>> Read Bayamma ’s full story
Read all the success stories from India

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