Rashtriya Mahila Kosh

The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), also known as the National Credit Fund for Women (NCFW), is a strategic initiative by the Government of India aimed at fulfilling the credit needs of marginalized and asset-less women in the informal sector. This autonomous body, operating under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, facilitates micro-credit through Micro Financing Institutions (MFIs) for a variety of activities, including establishing micro enterprises.

Providing Micro-credit Facilities

RMK provides micro-credit facilities to women in these sectors in a client-friendly, non-collateral, and hassle-free manner to encourage income-generating activities. Till date, RMK has undertaken several measures to popularize the concept of micro-financing, enterprise development, and the formation and strengthening of Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) through intermediary organizations.

Mission

The mission of Rashtriya Mahila Kosh is to act 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:

Foster socio-economic development through a multi-dimensional approach.
Provide micro-credit facilities.
Enable capacity-building of IMOs and women beneficiaries.
Support activities that use credit as a means for socio-economic change and development, supplementing it with financial and social development services for women’s empowerment.
Enhance and sustain employment, promote asset creation, and address consumption, social, and contingent needs through improved access to credit.
Advocate and replicate participatory approaches in organizing women’s groups for optimized credit resource utilization.
Promote and support innovative technologies in the voluntary and formal sectors to extend credit and social services to women.
Sensitize government delivery systems and enhance the visibility of poor women as a credible clientele for conventional institutions.
Promote research, documentation, and dissemination of credit management methodologies for effective replication.
Facilitate networking of women’s organizations to share experiences, information, and skills development for improved management and social mobilization.
Foster female entrepreneurship skills.
Collaborate with government entities, credit institutions, industrial bodies, and NGOs to achieve the objectives of the Kosh.
Accept financial support such as grants, donations, and loans under specified conditions.

Functions of the Kosh

The Kosh employs several functions to achieve its objectives:

Helping women attain economic independence beyond credit delivery by offering services for holistic development addressing their needs.
Linking credit for comprehensive needs, supporting production and economic activities.
Nurturing an environment conducive to innovation and experimentation in delivery mechanisms.
Facilitating research aimed at participatory action to enhance policy and address formal system constraints.
Integrating credit provision with education on credit management, literacy, and skill training for women and leadership training for group self-management.
Enhancing credit accessibility by simplifying procedures and providing flexible, user-friendly measures.
Offering a range of support services to address complexities arising from poverty and lack of empowerment.
Supporting grassroots organizations to enhance women’s decision-making capabilities.
Maintaining a policy and advocacy role to inform formal system adjustments based on evidence.
Developing effective communication channels between women and banking systems, influencing conventional credit systems to appreciate the need for alternative models.
Disseminating information and experience among government and non-government agencies on women’s credit issues.
Identifying and establishing training and evaluation resources at regional levels to improve service outreach.
Mobilizing resources from a variety of entities to support development projects for women.
Encouraging and motivating voluntary organizations to assist in women’s economic upliftment.
Providing monetary assistance, including loans and guarantees, to support banks and organizations participating in promotional activities.

Loan Schemes Offered

Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, driven by its mission, offers diverse 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

The eligibility norms, interest rates, security requirements, insurance, repayment schedules, and disbursement norms can variably differ according to the type of loan procured.

Contact Details

For more information on Rashtriya Mahila Kosh and its initiatives, you can contact the organization at:

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.