How can P2P lending disrupt MSME sector in India?

There are more than 5 crore MSMEs in India and their contribution to the Indian economy is quite significant. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises are creating massive employability i.e. up to 12 crore people which is close to 33% of India’s manufacturing output. But still MSMEs suffer from an incredible capital shortage that amounts to Rs. 32 trillion as per the International Finance Corporation. Out of all these statistics and challenges in getting right loans and investments, how owners of small businesses are turning around their firms through the choppy rides of hostile investment and funding environment? The answer lies in an increased usage of social media and technology.

P2P Lending, an intermediary service that helps lenders and borrowers through online platforms, judiciously using technology and social media to its users for providing quick and easy loan approvals. Somail Khan, VP of P2Peasy.com, an online peer to peer lending financial portal, asserts that with Aadhar and GST in place, the endeavour is further substantiated as a complimenting financial option to regular banking processes.

No wonder, looking at the possibilities that P2P services can offer to the small set of businesses and to needy people who can’t go around and around the bureaucratic loops of a banking system; RBI, in a recent notification has stated that all P2P lending platforms will be treated as NBFCs with minimum capital requirements and regulatory disclosures to the RBI.

The notification, to the delight of P2P lending industry is also a nod to the innovative ways and processes that eases pressure on the regular banking system in India. Since banks consider SMEs riskier due to their small business ways of operations, financial standing and unregulated documentation, it is rather an open secret that banks do hesitate when it comes granting loans to small and medium businesses. Adding to the weight is their own Non Performing Assets which stresses the bankers to follow the rigours set by regulators making them less agile to changing financial requirements within the nation.

These reasons again indicate why P2P lending can disrupt financing for small businesses with disciplined execution and consistent dialogues with the regulating authorities. ‘With reduced infrastructure cost (online operations), efficient and better credit assessment can be a game changer in terms of lending and borrowing and can take care rampant capital shortage within small and medium business enterprises’, says Mr. Sumit Sharma, CEO of the online peer to peer lending financial portal. P2PEasy.