Microfinance stocks have seen rough weather as RBI scrutiny turns up the heat. Regulators have zeroed in on NBFC-MFIs that were charging steep interest rates or flouting lending norms. In October 2024, the RBI barred four big NBFCs – including Sachin Bansal’s Navi, DMI Finance, Asirvad Microfinance (Manappuram’s arm) and Arohan – from issuing new loans. These bans were explicitly due to “excessive” pricing: the RBI found their average lending rates and interest spreads “usurious” and against fair-pricing rules. Not surprisingly, MFI-related shares tanked on the news. Manappuram Finance stock (owner of Asirvad) plunged ~18% on that regulatory action. Investors of other MFIs (like DMI, Navi, etc.) are wary too. In short, RBI is telling MFIs: play nice on rates or we’ll shut you down.
Why so tough?
RBI and industry-watchdogs say some MFIs lost their social angle and pursued profits. Last year the RBI wrote off its lending rate cap, but insisted on “fair, reasonable and transparent pricing”. An RBI-appointed body (Sa-Dhan) even urged MFIs to cap their RoA (return on assets) around 3–4%, signaling the old high-spread days are over. Meanwhile, borrower protection rules have tightened: from April 2025, micro-borrowers can only borrow from up to 3 lenders (down from 4). That three-lender cap is meant to prevent hidden debt and over-borrowing, but analysts warn it could cause short-term pain. In fact, India’s microfinance sector already had a high non-performing loan rate (~13.2% of loans as of Dec 2024. More defaults were piling up (Manappuram’s micro loans saw bad loans quintuple in Q4FY25), so regulators fear a domino effect on vulnerable borrowers.
For investors, this is a flashing yellow light, not a green signal. On the downside, rules are tightening and asset-quality woes are real. NBFC-MFIs saw net interest margins (spreads) jump for years, but now reports say NIMs will shrink in FY2025 as defaults bite. Growth in micro-loans has slowed (perhaps to ~4% in FY25). All this means MFI profits may dip, making their stocks riskier. Even more, a high MFI NPA ratio (~13%) makes the sector inherently shaky. So the red flag view: steer clear of MFIs that were living high on cheap credit – they may face more action or write-offs ahead.
On the other hand, some retail investors see a potential long-term play. RBI’s latest policy tweaks allow NBFC-MFIs more flexibility (for example, letting them count only 60% of assets as “microfinance loans” instead of 75%, per a June 2025 notice) – this helps well-run MFIs diversify. The rationale is that disciplined lenders with good governance will emerge stronger once the wild practices are curbed. In fact, RBI’s own comments urge MFIs to balance profit with purpose. Hence, the opportunity view: pick MFIs that have low NPAs, sound credit checks and a solid capital base. If regulators truly enforce prudence, these survivors could rebound when the dust settles.
Bottom line: microfinance today is a mixed bag. Short-term: caution. Regulatory actions (loan caps, checks on pricing and income assessment) are likely to squeeze margins and stress smaller players. Long-term: watch the leaders. For those big MFIs that clean up their act, the underlying demand (serving 80+ million borrowers) hasn’t disappeared. Smart investors may use this period to evaluate balance sheets carefully. But generally, the sector remains a red flag signal – a sign that something in microfinance had gone awry and needs fixing before it can truly become an “empowerment engine” again.
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.