Rashtriya Mahila Kosh

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), also known as the National Credit Fund for Women (NCFW), is an initiative of the Indian Government that caters to the credit needs of the poor and asset-less women in the informal sector. The autonomous body formed under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development provides micro-credit through Micro Financing Institutions (MFIs) for various activities including the setting up of micro enterprises. RMK provides micro-credit facilities to women in these sectors in a client friendly, non-collateral and hassle-free manner so as to encourage the pursuit of income generation activities. Till now, RMK has initiated a host of measures to popularize the concept of micro-financing, enterprise development, thrift and credit, formation and strengthening of Women-SHGs through intermediary organizations.

Mission

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh is established as a single window facilitator for financial services with backward and forward linkages for women in the unorganized sector through Intermediary Micro Finance Organizations (IMOs) and Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs).

Objectives

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh aims to:

To provide socio-economic development through multi-pronged effort.
To provide micro-credit facilities.
To facilitate the capacity-building of IMOs and women beneficiaries.
To promote or undertake activities for promoting or providing credit as an instrument of socio-economic change and development. This shall be done by providing a package of financial and social development services for the development of women.
To Promote and support schemes for enhancing the scope of credit facilities for women, sustaining their existing employment, generating further employment, asset creation, asset redemption, and tiding over consumption, social and contingent needs.
To demonstrate and replicate participatory approaches in the organization of women’s groups for effective utilization of credit resources, resulting in self-reliance.
To promote and support experiments in the voluntary and formal sector through the use of innovative technologies so as to extend credit and other social services to women.
To sensitize existing government delivery mechanisms and increase the visibility of poor women as a vital and viable clientele with conventional institutions.
To promote research, study, documentation and analysis of credit, the management of credits, and successful experiences at varying levels so as to encourage replication and dissemination of successful credit extension and management methodologies.
To promote the federation and networking of women’s organizations for the shaping and exchange of experience and information, as well as the development of skills in response to management and social mobilization.
To promote, support and expand entrepreneurship skills among women.
To cooperate with and secure the cooperation of the Central Government, State Governments and Union Territory Administration, credit institutions, industrial and commercial organizations and non-governmental, voluntary and other organizations and bodies in promoting the objects of the Kosh.
To accept subscriptions, grants, contributions, donations, loans, guarantees, gifts, bequests, etc., as per the specified terms and conditions.
To perform the essential lawful acts and other functions (as provided below).

Functions of the Kosh

The Kosh exercises the following functions for the furtherance of its objectives:

Enabling women to achieve economic independence by going beyond credit delivery, and providing services for integrated development concerned with the needs of poor women.
The linking of credit meant for composite needs to production and economic activities.
The creation of an environment that facilitates and supports further innovation and experimentation of distinct delivery mechanisms.
To facilitate research with the primary intention of exploring and conducting participatory action research and analysis, in accordance to which policy imperatives and actions can be identified and advocated to address the constraints in the formal system.
Integrating the provision of credit with the education of credit management, and rendering literacy and skill training for individual women, leadership training among groups for self-management, etc.
Improving the access of credit facilities to poor women in terms of physical distance, simplification of procedures, flexibility of measures for loans and recovery and other measures conducive for enhanced utilization, etc.
Providing a range of support services that would enable women to address the complexity of the problems and deprivations resulting from poverty and powerlessness.
Promoting and supporting grassroots level societies, organizations and other participatory structures to provide the women with effective access to decision-making.
Maintaining a policy and advocacy dimension in its working based on all of the above factors by providing a basis for revisions in the formal system.
Developing effective channels and communication between women and the credit/banking systems.
Advocate for greater appreciation among the conventional credit systems of the need for simple alternative systems.
Establishing a mechanism for spreading information and experience among agencies in the government and non-government sectors in the area of credit for poor women.
Identify and establish a resource base for training, project formulation and evaluation of needs at regional levels so as to promote greater outreach of services and coverage of remote areas.
Mobilization of resources at several levels from governments, public and private donors and other developmental agencies (both governmental and non-governmental).
Render motivation to voluntary organizations.
Coordinate with other credit and developmental agencies.
Provide monetary and other assistance, including loans/guarantees to banks/persons/organizations, etc., who are involved in promotional and developmental activities for the economic upliftment of women.
Subscribe or become a member of other associations (or cooperate with them), whose object take a similar vein to that of the Kosh.
Borrow, raise or secure the funds required for the Kosh to pursue its objects.
To accept and give grants, donations and subscriptions in furtherance of the objects of the Kosh.
Purchase, accept (as a gift), acquire, or hire any movable or immovable property which is essential or expedient for the furtherance of the objects and activities of the Kosh, and to deal with the same in the desired manner.
Support and perform the things which may be necessary or incidental to, or conducive to the accomplishment of any of or all of the objects of the Kosh.

Loan Schemes Offered

RMK offers the following loan services to its beneficiaries:

Loan Promotion Scheme
Main Loan Scheme
Gold Credit Scheme
Housing Loan Scheme
Working Capital Term Loan Scheme
Repeat Loan Scheme

Note – the eligibility norms, the rate of interest, security requirements, insurance, repayment, margin, disbursement norms, etc., of the loans, would vary in accordance with the type of loan procured.

Contact Details

To know more about this welfare body and its functions, the reader mat contact: Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh Samaj Kalyan Bhawan, B-12, 4th Floor, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi -110016. +91-11-26567187 / 26567188

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Microfinance Solutions for Women.

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), also known as the National Credit Fund for Women (NCFW), is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. It provides micro-credit facilities to poor and asset-less women in the informal sector for income generation activities and setting up micro-enterprises through Micro Financing Institutions (MFIs) and Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs).

The main objectives of the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh are to provide socio-economic development through multi-pronged efforts, facilitate micro-credit facilities, capacity-building of intermediary organizations and women beneficiaries, promote credit as an instrument of socio-economic change and development, and support schemes for enhancing the scope of credit facilities for women.

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh offers various loan schemes to its beneficiaries, including Loan Promotion Scheme, Main Loan Scheme, Gold Credit Scheme, Housing Loan Scheme, Working Capital Term Loan Scheme, and Repeat Loan Scheme. The eligibility norms, interest rates, security requirements, and other terms and conditions vary for each loan scheme.

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh caters to the credit needs of poor and asset-less women in the informal sector, enabling them to achieve economic independence and engage in income generation activities or set up micro-enterprises.

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh provides micro-credit facilities to women through intermediary organizations such as Micro Financing Institutions (MFIs) and Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs). These intermediary organizations play a crucial role in facilitating the delivery of credit and other support services to the beneficiaries.

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh performs various functions, including enabling women to achieve economic independence, linking credit to production and economic activities, creating an environment for innovation and experimentation, facilitating research, integrating credit with education and skill training, improving access to credit facilities, providing support services, promoting grassroots organizations, and advocating for greater appreciation of alternative credit systems.

To know more about the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh and its functions, one can contact the organization at the following address: Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh Samaj Kalyan Bhawan, B-12, 4th Floor, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi - 110016. The contact numbers are +91-11-26567187 / 26567188.

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh plays a crucial role in promoting women's empowerment by providing access to micro-credit facilities, enabling income generation activities, and supporting the establishment of micro-enterprises. By addressing the credit needs of poor and asset-less women, the organization contributes to their economic independence and overall socio-economic development.

One of the objectives of the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh is to facilitate the capacity-building of intermediary organizations, such as MFIs and WSHGs, as well as the women beneficiaries themselves. This is achieved through various initiatives, including training programs, skill development workshops, and other supportive measures to enhance their capabilities and effectiveness in utilizing the credit facilities.

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh promotes research, study, documentation, and analysis of credit management, successful experiences, and innovative methodologies in credit extension and management. This contributes to the dissemination of knowledge, replication of successful practices, and advocacy for policy changes to address constraints and promote the effective delivery of credit and support services to women.