Message from CEO:

Hello friends!

Thank you for logging on to our website. We are glad to learn about your interest to know more about Bandhan that has driven you to visit our website.

Bandhan marked its entry into the microfinance world in July 2002. Initially it believed in specialization hence it was only engaged in microfinance. But over the years, we have realized that microfinance is not the last word for the development of the poor. Therefore, we took an innovative initiative to design a program for the poorest of the poor with an objective of graduating them to the mainstream microfinance program. A health-education program was also introduced and is being run in a sustainable manner. We plan to address the other pressing issues of the society as well viz. child education and the like.

1 branch in 1 state – it was then, 412 branches in 6 states – it is now! The organization has grown tremendously. The figures were rising high and it was becoming difficult to manage the same under the society entity. Hence, in 2006-07, we started operations under NBFC entity. Our NBFC is called Bandhan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. (BFSPL) where our employees are the major stakeholders. We are in the process of transformation now and hope to complete the same in the coming two years. BFSPL would continue with all financial services and Bandhan society shall exist and undertake development activities.

Our research cell has done no. of studies which reflect the impact that Bandhan’s program has had on the poor. That apart, the very fact that we have been receiving lot of requests from MFIs across the country for replication of our model proves us successful. We are responding to some of those positively. This will help more and more poor to be covered under the microfinance umbrella and hopefully result in alleviation of poverty – the common objective all of us are striving towards. We have also been requested to begin operations internationally. But that’s a matter of strategy which we hope will fall in place in due course of time.

We have been able to come this far mainly because of the support and guidance of our well wishers. It goes without saying that this would not have been possible had it not been for the tremendous hard work and commitment that Bandhan team members display. I take this opportunity to thank each one of you for whatever little or big that you do for Bandhan. Your contribution and support is important to us and the continuance of the same shall help us accomplish our vision of reaching out to 2 million poor by March 2010.

Thank you one and all! Hope you enjoy browsing through our website!

Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
Founder & CEO

Click on the link to view:
An introduction to Bandhan video