NEW DELHI, 11 February 2022: Arya, India's largest integrated grain commerce platform, today announced a tie-up with leading NBFC, MAS Financial Services Limited to offer Agri-finance to farmers with a specific focus on small farmers and FPOs.
The services will be offered by Arya.ag's lending services arm, Aryadhan Financial Services Pvt. Ltd.
The alliance will leverage Arya.ag's digital technologies-led customer interface that enables a seamless and intelligent new-age end-user experience delivered over the fintech platform. Arya.ag's distinct near-farm gate integrated offering, spanning storage solutions, digital lending and digital marketplace, works as the ideal platform for small & marginal farmers otherwise deprived of access to financial services.
Initially, the tie-up will offer digital lending services delivered over Arya.ag's platform, to farmers in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. With this tie-up, Arya.ag & MAS Financial Services are aiming to achieve INR 100 crore co-lending portfolio with new-age digital technologies driving this enablement.
For borrowers, the eventual benefit is in the form of at competitive costs and hassle-free loan processing with technology at the back end taking care of all inter-financier transaction requirements.
Farm produce-as-collateral model has ensured that Arya.ag's lending services has been NPA-free since inception with an average per borrower ticket size of INR 28 lakhs.
On the launch, Chattanathan Devarajan, Co-founder of Arya.ag said, "We are thoroughly proud and excited about this association with MAS as it creates a huge opportunity to benefit smallholder farmers. Post-harvest agri-financing through WRF has a large unaddressed market estimated to be close to INR One lakh crore, two-third of which is out of the reach of the formal banking sector. Collaboration between banks and integrated agritech players like Arya.ag paves the way to service consumers deprived of access to financial services."
Kamlesh Gandhi CMD, MAS Financial Services commented, "We believe that well capitalized and managed NBFCs with niche segments can come together to create synergies that can work as a catalyst for financial inclusion. Our tie-up with Arya.ag will help MAS expand to small agri value chain participants in tier II & III markets and enhance efficiency of these entities.
Arya'ag is today the largest NBFC in Warehouse Receipt Finance (WRF) uniquely distinguished by its deep outreach to farmers and FPOs. The technology-led model enables minimizing transaction costs along with lower interest rates for the borrowers while expediting the turnaround time (TAT) for loan disbursements. The company facilitates finance of over USD 700 million annually.
The company is also in discussion with various banks for co-lending arrangements as it aims to serve as the biggest fintech platform in the agri-space with a win-win proposition for both recipient farmers and Banks which presently face challenges in reaching out to rural India with limited connectivity.