NABARD by virtue of its Financial, Developmental and Supervisory role is touching almost every aspect of rural economy, including providing refinance support, building rural infrastructure, preparing district level credit plans, guiding and motivating the banking industry in achieving credit targets, supervising Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks, helping banks to develop sound banking practices, enabling them to on-board to the CBS platform, designing new projects for rural development, implementing GoI's development schemes, training handicraft artisans and providing them a marketing platform for selling their articles, etc.

A) FINANCIAL FUNCTIONS

Refinance

NABARD disbursed Rs. 158905 crore and Rs. 107015 crore for supporting ST and LT financing by banks, respectively, during the year 2022-23.

NABARD provides by way of refinance, loans and advances repayable on demand or on the expiry of fixed period not exceeding 12 months, to Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks for production, marketing and procurement activities. The basic objective of short-term refinance provision is to supplement the resources of banks and to improve credit flow at the ground level.

NABARD provides long-term and medium-term refinance to the various institutions to supplement their resources for providing adequate credit for supporting investment activities of farmers and rural artisans, etc.

Short Term Loans

Crop loans are extended to farmers for crop production by financial institutions, which support in ensuring food security in the country. During the year 2022-23, NABARD has disbursed Rs. 64224 crore for Seasonal Agricultural Operations, Rs. 65564 crore for Additional Seasonal Agricultural Operations and Rs. 29077 crore for other than seasonal agriculture operations to Cooperative Banks and RRBs.

NABARD has also extended an amount of Rs. 40 crore as refinance assistance to SFBs.

Long Term Loans

NABARD's long-term refinance provides credit to financial institutions for a wide gamut of activities encompassing farm and non-farm activities with tenor of 18 months to more than 5 years During the year 2022-23, NABARD has disbursed Rs. 107015 crore to financial institutions.

In order to provide boost to agriculture & rural sector post COVID period, NABARD introduced 4 special refinance schemes viz. Scheme for PACS as MSC, Scheme for beneficiaries of the watershed as well as Wadi project areas, Scheme for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Scheme for Micro Food Processing activities.

Government of India has set up LTRCF with NABARD for providing long term refinance support for investment credit in agriculture activities exclusively for Cooperative Banks (State Cooperative Banks and State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). During the year 2022-23, an amount of Rs. 14875 crore was disbursed under the fund.

Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF)

RIDF was set up with NABARD in 1995-96 by the Reserve Bank of India out of the shortfall in lending to priority sector by scheduled commercial banks for supporting rural infrastructure projects. NABARD disbursed Rs. 37317 crore during 2022-23 under RIDF which contributes substantially to the rural infrastructure funding in the country today.

Long-Term Irrigation Fund

• Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) was announced in the Union Budget 2016–17 for fast tracking completion of 99 identified Medium and Major Irrigation projects, as identified by Ministry of Jal Shakti (nodal Ministry under the fund), GoI. The projects were spread across 18 States. Subsequently, 04 more projects, viz., Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh, North Koel project in Bihar & Jharkhand, Relining of Sirhind & Rajasthan Feeders and Shahpur Kandi Dam in Punjab were included under LTIF.
• Under LTIF, NABARD has provided loan towards Central share as well as State share. Loan towards Central share has been extended to NWDA, a SPV of GoI whereas the State share has been extended to participating State Governments.
• During 2022-23, loan amount of Rs. 161.06 crore was sanctioned and Rs. 3069.10 crore was released under LTIF. Cumulative loan sanctioned and released as at the end of 31 March 2023 stood at Rs. 85,288.44 crore and Rs. 58745.78 crore respectively.
• The LTIF funding arrangement, which was in operation upto 31 March 2021, has since been continued upto FY 2025-26 towards State share only for the ongoing projects (60 AIBP and 85 CAD&WM projects as on 31 March 2021). The Central share requirement is to be met through budgetary resources of GoI.

Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF)

• MIF with an initial corpus of Rs. 5000 crore was operationalized in NABARD in 2019-20 to facilitate State Govts. efforts in mobilizing additional resources for expanding coverage under micro irrigation and incentivizing its adoption beyond provisions of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Per Drop More Crop. The nodal Ministry under the fund is the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), GoI.
• During 2022-23, loan amount of Rs. 432.02 crore was released under MIF. An amount of Rs. 740.79 crore was sanctioned during the period.
• The cumulative sanctions and releases as on 31st March 2023 stood at Rs. 4710.96 crores and Rs. 2516.02 crore, respectively.
• MIF funding arrangement for the initial corpus of Rs. 5000 crore is in operation upto 31 March 2023.

NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA)

NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA) offers flexible long-term loans to well-managed public sector entities for financing rural infrastructure. Projects for agriculture infrastructure, rural connectivity, renewable energy, power transmission, drinking water and sanitation, and other social and commercial infrastructure are financed under NIDA. Inclusion of public–private partnership (PPP) and non-PPP projects to be undertaken by registered entities like corporates/companies, cooperatives, etc. has further broadened NIDA’s scope of funding. Financing under NIDA offers scope for off-budget and on-budget borrowing to state governments and aids in easing state budget constraints.

During the year 2022–23, term loan of Rs. 3581.71 Cr. was sanctioned under NIDA through 6 credit proposals constituting 01 Rural educational institution projects (0.55% ; Rs. 20.17 Cr), 03 irrigation project (85.6% ; Rs. 3066.54 Cr.), 01 Rural Tourism project (1.25%; Rs. 45 Cr.) and Rural health project (12.6% ; Rs. 450 Cr) The total disbursements made during the year were Rs. 6329.48 crore.

The benefits derived from various NIDA projects since inception are as follows:

Direct Refinance Assistance to DCCBs for Short-Term Multipurpose Credit (DRA)

NABARD has been providing ST refinance to StCBs for on-lending to District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) for various purposes. Direct refinance assistance to StCBs/DCCBs is an additional line of credit for diversification of lending and enhancing their earnings through profitable portfolios. The credit limit is sanctioned to well-governed and financially strong ‘A’ or ‘B’ rated StCBs or DCCBs, as per the latest inspection report of NABARD. The purpose of the loan covers inter alia working capital, repair and maintenance of farm equipment and other productive assets, storage/grading/packaging of produce, marketing activities, non-farm activities, etc. The limit is in the nature of cash-credit, operative for one year from the date of sanction. The limit is also available for a period of three months to meet the specific requirements of banks.

Sanctions under DRA, registered growth of around 16% i.e. from Rs. 18521.00 crore in FY 2021-22 to Rs. 21434.96 crore during FY 2022-23. The disbursements under DRA during FY 2022-23 was Rs. 18179.41 crore

Credit Facility to Federations (CFF)

Credit facility to Federations (CFF) provides short-term credit support to State Government entities like Agricultural Marketing Federations, Civil Supply Corporations, Dairy Cooperatives, /milk unions or federations etc., for procurement, processing and marketing of agricultural commodities, input supply, and value and supply chain management. Under this facility, credit support is made available for procurement of food grains, pulses and oilseeds and other agricultural commodities like milk. The facility is also available for procurement and marketing of agricultural inputs like seed and fertilizer. This facility is extended as short-term loan for a period of twelve months and another product in the nature of a very short-term loan for three months to meet the specific requirements of the agencies.

Sanctions under CFF were made to 12 agencies during 2022-23 with a credit limit sanction of Rs. 40606.75 crore and disbursement of Rs. 31437.21 crore. The loan outstanding position as on 31 March 2023 was Rs. 17355.21 crore.

Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF)

In accordance with its announcement in the Union Budget 2017–18, Government of India created a Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) in NABARD, with a total corpus of Rs. 8004 crore to be utilised over a period of five years. The objectives of the scheme are modernisation and infrastructure augmentation for milk processing and value addition, and to ensure optimum price realisation by the primary producers. It envisages creation of Modernization, expansion and creation of Milk Processing capacity of 12.6 million litres per day (MLPD, milk powder processing capacity of 210 million tonnes per day (MTPD), and other infrastructure facilities during the implementation period.

The total disbursements made during FY 2022-23 were Rs. 735.26 crore.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)

In line with its announcement in the Union Budget 2018–19, Government of India created the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) with a total corpus of Rs. 7,522.48 crore to be implemented over a period of five years NABARD will fund the public infrastructure components to the State Governments to the tune of about Rs. 2600 crore for various facilities like fishing harbours, fish landing centres, modernized State fish seed farms, modern fish markets, disease diagnostic laboratories, aquatic quarantine facilities and training infrastructure.

During the year 2022-23, an amount of Rs. 1987.99 crore has been sanctioned and an amount of Rs. 225.67 crore has been disbursed under FIDF, registering a growth of 118% and 31% respectively over the previous financial year.

Rural Infrastructure Assistance to State Governments (RIAS)

NABARD has launched a new product “Rural Infrastructure Assistance to State Governments (RIAS)” with an initial corpus of Rs. 15000 crore. Under RIAS, NABARD will provide financial assistance to State Governments in Eastern Region, for creating infrastructure that supports rural livelihoods, hinging on 5-J approach – Jan (human being), Jal (Water), Jameen (land), Janwar (livestock) & Jungle (forest).

Warehouse Infrastructure Fund

Government of India created Warehouse Infrastructure Fund (WIF) in the year 2013-14 with NABARD with a corpus of Rs. 5,000 crore. The Fund was set up for providing loans to meet the requirements for scientific warehousing infrastructure for agricultural commodities in the country. The corpus was further augmented with an allocation of Rs. 5000 crore in 2014-15. The cumulative disbursement as on 31 March 2023 stood at Rs. 8674 crore.

Food Processing Fund

With a view to promoting food processing industries in the organised sector on a cluster basis, the Government of India instituted the Food Processing Fund (FPF) in NABARD in 2014–15, with a corpus of Rs. 2,000 crore. As on 31 March 2023, NABARD has sanctioned a term loan of Rs. 1126.60 crore for 14 Mega Food Parks (MFPs), 03 Industrial Parks, 8 Agro Processing Clusters (APCs) and 13 Individual Food Processing Units. Cumulative disbursement as on 31 March 2023 was Rs. 662.47 crore.

Geo Tagging of Warehouses

NABARD took on the onus of creating a web based Agri-Storage Information System, which not only captures the details of the infrastructure but also captures the Geo-spatial coordinates. The project of Geo Tagging of warehouses (dry & wet) was started as a pilot in two States (Haryana and Tamil Nadu) and the work was taken up by NABCONS.

The mobile app (KisanBhandar) has been developed for both Android and IOS supporting devices which will be used by Farmers/Traders/Producers to locate the geotagged assets in the vicinity. The APP will be launched by Government of India and thereafter users can download it from Google Play Store and Apple Store.

B) SUPERVISORY FUNCTIONS

For the FY 2022-23, 303 statutory inspections and 9 voluntary inspections were scheduled with reference to the financial position of banks/ other institutions as on March 31, 2022. The details are as under:-

C) Developmental Functions

Watershed Development

Cumulatively, as on 31 March 2023, 3673 watershed development projects were sanctioned covering total project area of 26.45 lakh ha of which 2684 projects have been completed. Grant assistance committed under all programmes stood at Rs. 2750.31 crore out of which an amount of Rs. 2128.71 crore has been disbursed.

Tribal Development

Cumulatively as on 31 March 2023, a total of 968 projects were sanctioned benefitting 6.09 lakh families. These projects facilitated beneficiaries to earn livelihood income by taking up cultivation of fruit trees, other horticultural crops and field crops in 5.71 lakh acre area. Cumulative sanction and disbursement stood at Rs. 2708 crore and Rs. 1928 crore respectively under TDF.

Climate Change Adaptation Projects

Under Adaptation Fund, the cumulative sanction was accorded for six projects and two Readiness Grant stood at USD 9.94 million (Rs. 60.95 crore). NABARD has facilitated sanctioning of two projects with total outlay at USD 134.35 million (Rs. 944.20 crore) under Green Climate Fund. Cumulatively, 30 projects were sanctioned with grant assistance of Rs. 847.47 crore under NAFCC. Grant assistance amount of Rs. 2.53 crore was disbursed under Climate Change Fund during 2022-23 for supporting activities aimed at addressing climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation measures, awareness generation, knowledge sharing and for facilitating sustainable development

Umbrella Programme on Natural Resource Management

As on 31 March 2023, cumulatively 334 UPNRM projects have been sanctioned across the country covering 10 major natural resource management sectors with a financial assistance of Rs. 783.93 crore comprising of Rs. 738.55 crore as loan and grant assistance of Rs. 45.38 crore. The cumulative disbursement as on 31 March 2023 stood at Rs. 578.01 crore including loan disbursement of Rs. 545.83 crore and grant disbursement of Rs. 32.18 crore.

Financial Inclusion

As on 31 March 2023, a cumulative amount of Rs. 5459 crore was sanctioned and an amount of Rs. 3057 crore was disbursed towards various schemes implemented under FIF (Financial Inclusion Fund) for generating demand for banking services and building payment/acceptance infrastructure at the ground level. To bridge the gap between the demand and supply side of FI, under differentiated strategy adopted to address the regional disparities and to bring about inclusive and equitable financial inclusion across the country, grant assistance is extended at an enhanced rate of 90% in 356 Special Focus Districts which includes aspirational districts, LWE districts, Credit Deficient Districts, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Island and districts in Hilly states and NER.

Microfinance Sector

NABARD had launched the Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme (SHG-BLP) in 1992. The programme has empowered 144.22 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs) and 17.75 crore rural households in India as on 31 March 2024. Nearly 54.82 lakh SHGs availed credit support of Rs.209285.87 crore from various banks during 2023-24, at an average of Rs.3.81 lakh per SHG. 73.34 lakh JLGs were promoted and financed by banks during 2023-24.

SHG based Livelihood Interventions

For stimulating micro entrepreneurship movement NABARD has launched two skill building and capacity building programmes viz., Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP) and Livelihood and Enterprise Development Programme (LEDP). As on 31 March 2024, 6.12 lakh SHG members were trained through 20,822 MEDPs since 2006 with total sanctioned grant support of Rs.60.73 crore. As on 31 March 2024, more than 3 lakh SHG members have been supported through 2449 LEDPs with grant sanction of Rs.128.41 crore

Skill Development

During 2022-23, NABARD sanctioned support for training 17361 rural youth through 359 programmes with grant assistance of Rs. 16.03 crore by gainfully engaging rural youth both in wage as well as self-employment. NABARD has collaborated with CSR wing of Corporates like Tata Strive, Ambuja Cement Foundation, Lupin Human Welfare Research Foundation J & K Trust etc., for training of rural youth and their placement.

Off Farm Producer Organisation (OFPO)

As on 31 March 2023, 72 OFPOs covering around 22,530 beneficiaries have been supported with grant assistance of Rs. 37.88 crore across 27 states. Of these, 59 OFPOs have been registered under Companies Act, 2013 or Societies Act and are undertaking business activities through aggregation, marketing and input distribution. Eighteen OFPOs are all-women OFPOs and are expected to empower 6890 women weavers and artisans directly.

During 2022-23, 14 OFPOs covering around 3705 artisans and weavers have been supported with grant assistance of Rs. 8.58 crore across 11 States.

Promotion of GI Products

NABARD provides end-to-end support in facilitating pre-registration as well as post-registration activities for GI products. The prominent products supported by NABARD for GI registration are Nizamabad Black Pottery (Uttar Pradesh), Gulabi Meenakari (Uttar Pradesh), Ladakh Wood Carvings (Jammu & Kashmir), Udupi Saree (Karnataka), Kathputlis (Rajasthan), Ringal Craft (Uttarakhand) etc.

So far, NABARD has provided support for 211 products out of which, 49 have been granted registration by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

NABARD has also supported two exclusive marketing outlets (Varanasi, UP and North Paravur, Kerala) for GI products.

Marketing Initiatives

To support rural producers in the farm and off-farm sector to market their produce effectively, NABARD has been extending support for setting up of Rural Haats, Rural Marts and participation of artisans and craftsmen in national and regional level exhibitions and melas.

Rural Haats

Rural Haats have been vital to the lives of rural communities by providing them accessible market place to buy and sell their farm and off-farm produce. Rural Haats have emerged as an effective marketing link for Producer Organizations, Village Watershed and Tribal Development Committees. NABARD support to Rural Haats is towards infrastructure creation like raised platforms, roofing, drinking water facility, sanitation, etc. During 2022-23, 63 Rural Haats have been supported with grant support of Rs. 8.88 crore.

Rural Marts

Rural Marts help to promote entrepreneurship amongst producer communities and provide market link for domestic products manufactured by rural community particularly women and weaker sections. They help in generating income and employment at grassroot level. During 2022-23, 187 rural marts (including 89 mobile vans), have been supported with a grant support of Rs. 9.7 crores.

Exhibitions/Melas

Exhibitions and Melas provide a direct marketing platform to the artisans with access to market intelligence, customer preferences and bulk orders Participation in these melas empowers the artisans to face the challenges in doing business.

149 Melas were conducted during the year 2022-23. Over the years, NABARD has played active role in various exhibitions organised by the governments like Surajkund, Mahalaxmi Saras etc.

Stall in Mall

The scheme has been launched in the year 2021-22, since then total 13 Stall in Malls have been organised with sanctioned amount of Rs. 1.02 crore generating total sale of Rs. 1.88 crore.

Rural Business Incubation Centres (RBICs)

NABARD has supported the following institutions so far supported for setting up independent Rural Business Incubation Centres are as given below:

The RBICs will provide business support services and resources, marketing, finance to agri-startups and agri-entrepreneurs to develop them into viable commercial entities which will result in both direct and indirect benefits accruing to the farmers. As on 31st March 2023, these Incubation Centres have supported 1213 incubatees resulting in registration of 220 start-ups with DPIIT.

Catalytic Capital Fund

In India, most of the agri based start-ups face challenges with respect to funding sources. These start-ups which have innovative enterprises, early stage technology, innovative products or process innovations, supply chain innovations or business model innovations struggle to find financial support at the right time. To support the agri start-ups, NABARD has set up “Catalytic Capital Fund for supporting Rural and Agri Start-ups”. Through the Fund, support is provided to start-ups in the “Valley of Death’ stage so that they become viable units.

NABARD has so far provided support to 03 NABARD Supported Incubation Centres.

Stand-Up India Scheme

During 2022-23, a total of 198 handholding events were conducted for 8926 participants in 71 districts across the country.