A Study on Role of NABARD and Financial Initiatives taken in Promoting Rural Finance in India

Abstract

Indian economy is the agricultural economy and real India is in the villages. Without rural economic development, the objectives of economic planning cannot be reached. So, banks and other financial institutions are considered a vital role in rural economic development in India. NABARD is playing a vital role in the economic development of rural India. A developing country, like India, ought to be an ideal environment for micro-finance programmes seeking to reach the poor and attain financial sustainability. Microfinance is regarded as a central poverty alleviation strategy and a means of deriving economic growth and employment of small, micro & medium enterprises (SMME). A complex set of best practice models and a network of active members and support of rural people in an organized form and the active support of banks and NABARD in India have emerged to support a thriving industry. Bank credit is available to farmers under the short-term credit for the shape of agricultural products and financial programs such as the medium-term/long-term debt financing for capital investments in agriculture and related activities such as land, including land purchases, minor irrigation, farm mechanization, program development, the domestic poultry animals, fishing, plantation, and horticulture. The loans are available for storing, processing and marketing agricultural products needed now days the long-term and short-term credit of these institutions are also achieved by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). It is the evolution of agricultural finance. In this paper, an attempt has been made to understand the concept of rural finance in India and the role of NABARD in the priorities of the credit sector and also various programs initiated by the NABARD for the sustainable development of rural India. The study could also lead to the strengths and weaknesses of Rural Finance in India.