Samhita Community Development Services

What Samhita Community Development Services does

Samhita Community Development Services is a not-for-profit Section-8 company registered in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on September 28, 2007, operating as the economic arm of the Samhita Development Network, an affiliation of three institutions serving disadvantaged communities across Central and North India. The company specializes in microfinance and microenterprise services for poor women households, delivered through a Grameen Bank-adapted Joint Liability Group (JLG) model where 5 women per group undergo mandatory 4-day financial literacy training and attend fortnightly/monthly center meetings for loan proposals and collections. Operations span 18 districts across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh via 36 branches and 2,963 community centers, serving 14,814 active loan clients as of June 30, 2026.

The core product portfolio includes Micro Credit (collateral-free loans of Rs.5,000-Rs.60,000 at 24% per annum on a reducing basis with 6-24 month tenure), Micro Insurance (compulsory loan cover through IndiaFirst Life Insurance), and Micro Pensions (NPS-Lite aggregation under PFRDA authorization since January 2011, with 24,384 enrolled subscribers). Disbursements are conducted exclusively through online modes (NEFT/IMPS) following mandatory Credit Bureau checks. The business is complemented by Financial Literacy Programs, the Legal Rights Awareness Program (LRAP) reaching 65,865 women, and Social Protection Camps that linked 7,920 participants to 10,137 government entitlements. As of June 30, 2026, total Portfolio Outstanding stands at Rs.16.21 Crores (of which only Rs.0.62 Crores is own portfolio and Rs.15.59 Crores is managed), with cumulative disbursements of Rs.2,316.54 Crores and a disclosed Portfolio at Risk of 44.84%.

Technology infrastructure is built exclusively on Free and Open Source Software through wholly-owned subsidiary eCubeH Research Labs, supporting web and mobile applications for microfinance portfolio activity, enterprise general ledger accounting, and HR management. The proprietary Common Appropriate Technology Platform (CATP) and Samhita Poverty Assessment Score (SPAS) provide cross-domain integration across microfinance, insurance, pensions, health, and education services. The company is funded through a diversified lender base including IDBI Bank, IndusInd Bank (which holds a nominee director seat), Yunus Social Business Fund Bengaluru, and managed-portfolio partners, and is governed by a board led by CEO Praseeda Kunam and founder-promoter Balachander Krishnamurthy alongside independent directors including venture capital veteran Geoff Woolley.

Name

Samhita Community Development Services

Legal name

Samhita Community Development Services

Website

https://sdevnet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Samhita Community Development Services is a not-for-profit Section-8 company founded in 2007 providing microcredit, microinsurance, and micropensions to poor women households across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh through 36 branches, 2,963 community centers, and a Grameen Bank-adapted Joint Liability Group lending model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microfinance Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microenterprise Group Lending (Joint Liability) (FSAKAGAH), Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets (BPAGABAM), SME, Microfinance & Financial Inclusion Facilities (BPADACAI)

Keywords

• Microfinance services
• Microcredit lending
• Microinsurance products
• Pension aggregation
• Financial literacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bhopal

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Microcredit Interest Income: Interest income from microcredit loans at 24% per annum (reducing basis). Loan sizes range from Rs.5,000 to Rs.60,000. Processing fee of 1% of loan amount + GST. Total Portfolio Outstanding is Rs. 16.21 Crores (own portfolio Rs. 0.62 Crores, managed portfolio Rs. 15.59 Crores).
2. Micro Pension Services: NPS-Lite pension scheme services as authorized Aggregator by PFRDA. 24,384 subscribers enrolled. Subscribers contribute monthly, funds transmitted electronically to CRA. Government provides Swavalamban incentive of Rs. 1,000 to low-income members contributing between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 12,000 annually.
3. Loan Cover Insurance: Compulsory loan cover insurance offered through IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited. Premium rates: Rs.9.20 to Rs.10.00 per annum per Rs.1,000 for member and spouse (1 year), Rs.19.00 per annum per Rs.1,000 for member and spouse (2 years).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Samhita Community Development Services provides microfinance services to poor women households in Central India, including collateral-free microcredit loans (Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 60,000), compulsory loan cover microinsurance through IndiaFirst Life Insurance, and micro pension aggregation services as a PFRDA-authorized NPS-Lite Aggregator. The institution complements these financial products with financial literacy training, legal rights awareness programs, and social protection camps to drive holistic financial inclusion for unbanked rural and urban poor communities across Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Product overview

Samhita Community Development Services operates as a not-for-profit Section-8 company serving poor households primarily in Central and North India through a portfolio of microfinancial and educational products. The core offerings include Micro Credit (collateral-free loans of Rs.5,000-60,000 for women), Micro Insurance (Loan Cover Insurance via IndiaFirst Life), and Micro Pensions (NPS-Lite aggregation through PFRDA). Supporting these are Financial Literacy and Legal Rights Awareness Programs that provide training on budgeting, savings, borrowing, gender laws, and social entitlements. The organization also leverages a Common Appropriate Technology Platform (CATP) developed by its technology partner eCubeH Research Labs, which enables web and mobile applications for portfolio management, enterprise accounting, and HR functions—all built exclusively on free and open source technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Employee Code of Conduct: Internal HR and conduct policy framework for staff members
• Samhita Poverty Assessment Score (SPAS)
• Legal Rights Awareness Program (LRAP)
• NPS-Lite / Swavalamban Pension Scheme

Products and services

• Micro Credit Collateral-free microcredit loans ranging from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 60,000 for poor women borrowers, delivered through the Joint Liability Group model at village center meetings. First cycle loans range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 30,000 with tenures of 6-24 months, weekly/fortnightly/monthly repayment options, and 24% per annum interest rate on a reducing basis. No collateral or prepayment charges required.
• Micro Insurance Loan Cover Insurance product provided through IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited, offering compulsory insurance coverage for microfinance borrowers and their spouses at premium rates ranging from Rs. 4.60 to Rs. 19.00 per annum per Rs. 1,000 of coverage depending on whether coverage is for member only, member and spouse, and 1-year or 2-year terms.
• Micro Pensions (NPS-Lite/Swavalamban) Pension aggregation services for low-income members under the PFRDA-regulated National Pension Scheme-Lite (now Atal Pension Yojana for new accounts since 2015). Samhita is an authorized Aggregator by PFRDA since January 2011, offering retirement savings with government Swavalamban incentives of Rs. 1,000 to members contributing between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 12,000 annually. 24,384 subscribers enrolled as of June 30, 2026. Subscribers may redeem at age 60 as lump-sum and/or monthly annuity.
• Financial Literacy Program Four-module training program covering budgeting, savings and social security, borrowing and cost of debt, and financial planning. Includes multimedia Hindi content (Hindi movie, animation flip charts, worksheets), and participatory activities designed for microfinance clients. Phase I trained 10,001 women in Bhopal slums during 2010-2011; training now integrated into Member Enrollment Training for all new members.
• Legal Rights Awareness Program (LRAP) Legal literacy and awareness program covering gender sensitization, laws protecting women against discrimination and violence (including PWDVA, PCPNDT Act, Sexual Harassment Act). Includes community catalyst training, local committee formation, and social protection camps helping marginalized communities access government entitlements. 65,865 women trained across 12 districts of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh; 373 Local Committees formed mobilizing 4,472 women in 6 districts.
• Health Education Health education services delivered as part of the social development programs, integrated within the Samhita Development Network's multi-domain approach to serving poor communities alongside economic interventions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24,384 NPS-Lite pension subscribers enrolled
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Avanti Finance Private Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSourcing of loan applicants, providing collection related services, servicing and assisting borrowers during loan lifecycle, acting as first level grievance redressal for borrowers on the field in the Avanti Credit program.
• National Securities Depository Agency (NSDL)supportingOthersNSDL operates the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) for NPS-Lite. Samhita forwards all pension application details to CRA weekly, which assigns Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) to subscribers within 3 weeks.
• eCubeH Research LabscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology arm of the Samhita Development Network. Registered as private limited company in New Delhi (August 31, 2009), registered office moved to Bhopal MP (February 11, 2021). Exclusively uses free and open source technologies providing software, engineering and social technology solutions.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Grameen Bank: Bangladesh-based originator of the JLG model that Samhita explicitly adapted. While not a direct India competitor, it is the methodological benchmark and most influential reference point for Samhita's group lending design.
• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank: Converted from MFI to small finance bank; serves similar low-income customer base with microcredit and savings products. Provides a benchmark for what scale-up via SFB conversion could look like.
• Bandhan Bank: Now a universal bank that began as a microfinance institution serving poor women in eastern India. Operates in the same customer segment but with vastly broader product portfolio and balance sheet.
• Equitas Small Finance Bank: Small finance bank with origins in microfinance serving underbanked segments. Comparable mission and target customer base, with broader product set and Indian listed status.

Direct peers

• Spandana Sphoorty Financial: Listed Indian MFI serving low-income women through JLG group lending across multiple states. Comparable product set (microcredit, microinsurance) and overlapping customer base.
• Asirvad Microfinance: Chennai-based NBFC-MFI serving unbanked women via JLG with similar geographic distribution in central and southern India. Directly comparable microcredit-only operating model.
• Muthoot Microfin: Indian MFI part of Muthoot Group providing JLG-based microcredit to poor women in rural and semi-urban areas. Comparable customer base, ticket sizes, and asset quality profile.
• Fusion Microfinance: Indian NBFC-MFI focused on underbanked rural women using JLG methodology. Similar loan ticket sizes, geographic overlap in central India, and closely aligned customer profile.
• Cashpor Microcredit: Indian MFI operating in rural eastern UP and Bihar using JLG methodology for poor women - identical model and customer base to Samhita. Co-founder Balachander Krishnamurthy served as technology architect at Cashpor, making it an especially close operational and methodological peer.
• SKS Microfinance (now Bharat Microfinance): Pioneer Indian MFI that used JLG model for poor women. Same microcredit methodology, similar customer segment, and direct overlap with Samhita's operating model. Founder was also technology architect at SKS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samhita-community-development-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Samhita Community Development Services