ESAF Small Finance Bank Ltd, led by MD & CEO Dr. K Paul Thomas, has crossed ₹50,000 crore in total business — a milestone that took nine years to reach. The CEO expects the bank's next ₹50,000 crore to take half that time.
The growth is anchored in ESAF's MARG strategy: MSME Loans, Agri Financing, Retail Credit, and Gold Loans. This four-pronged approach has driven a shift away from uncollateralized microfinance toward secured lending.
Secured MARG assets now make up over 60% of ESAF's total loan book. Gold loans alone have crossed ₹10,000 crore, becoming a significant contributor to the bank's asset mix.
On the liability side, ESAF holds ₹26,000 crore in total deposits, with over 90% coming from retail deposits — a sign of disciplined, granular liability management.
The bank's roadmap includes capping unsecured micro-lending at 30%, launching FCNR(B) dollar products targeted at South-East Asian and Gulf NRIs, diluting promoter equity to 26% by 2031, and preparing its balance sheet for a Universal Bank license.
