Grama Vidiyal’s parent organisation, Activists for Social Alternatives (ASA) is a public charitable trust founded in 1986 by Mr. S. Devaraj, the Chairman and Managing Director.  ASA initially concentrated in working with the exploited and deprived to motivate them through education, training, networking, and advocacy.  As ASA continued to evolve, it became clear that the economic empowerment of women forms the foundation for social and political empowerment of their communities.  Essential to this social advancement was the provision of financial services that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Since 1996, Grama Vidiyal, registered as a public charitable trust, has provided small loans to women without access to formal credit and who typically have daily incomes of less than INR 80 (USD 2) per day.  From early beginnings of a few groups formed for the purpose of internal lending to a rapidly growing organization offering a wide range of financial products to its members, Grama Vidiyal has emerged as a regional force in the Indian microfinance sector.

The success of the past decade and a half has encouraged Grama Vidiyal to transform from a charitable trust to a regulated Non-Bank Financial Company (NBFC).  Transformation to an NBFC enables Grama Vidiyal to attract larger amounts of equity capital, thus resulting in an accelerated outreach and higher outstanding loan portfolio.  Furthermore, Grama Vidiyal will benefit greatly from the strategic expertise mainstream equity investors interested in the microfinance sector will bring to the organization.

Grama Vidiyal expects continued rapid growth, reaching  more that 2 million clients by expanding to other states of India with more than1500 Crores INR (USD 400 M ) by 2012. 

for more details visit www.asadev.com

Watershed Program