SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNTIES

RBS' Microcredit Business, Microfinance Technical Assistance and Livelihood Support Programmes nurture and support small enterprises and the poorest communities across the country. In 2009, we widened our scope of activities to offer the RBS Global Employee and Community Engagement schemes to our employees in India. The RBS Foundation India is the platform that houses all our Community Investment initiatives, seamlessly integrating our legacy of economic inclusion with new opportunities that come our way whilst maintaining strategic alignment with the RBS group's overall approach to supporting our communities

Microcredit Business

Our Microcredit Business aligns the financial strength of the bank with the distribution network of Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs). Launched in India in September 2003, we were the "first international bank" to offer microfinance. Till date, we have cumulatively disbursed INR 8.5 Bln (GBP 113 Mln) to poor households in India. Over the last six years, we have grown consistently from a loan portfolio of INR 236 Mln (USD 4.72 Mln), 9 MFIs and services for 70,000 poor households (end 2004), to a loan portfolio of INR 1.8 Bln (GBP 24 Mln), 25 MFIs (in 20 states) reaching out to more than 380,000 poor households. Collectively, our MFI clients make services available to a population of 10.48 million and have a loan portfolio outstanding of INR 74.33 Bln (GBP 991 Mln).

Microfinance Technical Assistance

In response to the skewed distribution of microfinance in the country, in 2006 we launched the Microfinance Technical Assistance programme, focused on building robust and creditworthy MFIs in the underserved regions of the country. Along with CORDAID (an international Dutch NGO) and MicroSave (an international consultancy), RBS provides 12-18 months of hand holding support to nascent MFIs across the country. Our programme works with 36 MFIs, across 13 states of India, impacting the lives of more than 100,000 poor families

Livelihood Support

Recognizing that credit is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for poverty alleviation, in 2007 we fortified our microfinance services with a third level of engagement - Livelihood Support. We presently have 15 projects across 11 states, each one helping build the credit inclusiveness of more than 63,000 poor women, by strengthening their income generating abilities through trainings that help them better manage their productive assets and get better prices for their produce.

Employee Engagement

We are committed to enhance employee engagement by involving our employees in Community Investment initiatives. We feel it's important to enable our employees to give back to society and the Foundation strives to make this possible. The RBS group's Community Investment programmes such as Community Cashback, Give As You Earn, and our global employee recognition scheme, Community Stars, emphasise the joy of sharing, giving, teamwork, appreciation and collaboration. In addition to these the Foundation also offers a range of volunteering opportunities to suit individual employee interests and passion.

You can read more on our initiatives to support local communities, in the RBS Foundation India Supporting Enterprise Report for 2009, available online here.