The Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) has set the Ninth Plan lending target at Rs 35,000 crore, bank managing director Shailendra Narain told Business Standard.
In fiscal 1997-98, the last year of the Eighth Plan, it sanctioned Rs 7,484 crore.
"What we have to do is to continue with the present performance and we shall reach the goal," Narain said.
As for the present target, in 1998-99, the first year of the Ninth Plan, the bank is aiming for a disbursement target of over Rs 7,000 crore.
Sidbi officials are confident that not only will the bank be able to achieve this target, but exceed it the way they did in the Eighth Plan period. During the Eighth Plan, Sidbi disbursed Rs 12,000 crore against a target of Rs 9,950 crore.
This was made possible because of the various lending schemes of the bank that ensured that units were commissioned and loan requirements were fulfilled through a single window.
Along with the term loans, Sidbi also provides core working capital to units so that there is no delay in commissioning the project, after which the units can approach the banks.
These are available both under the refinance and direct lending schemes.
Sidbi's thrust in the Ninth Plan will be on the tiny sector, women entrepreneurs and the unorganised sector.
Narain said that 70 per cent of the resources for lending in the next five years will come through internal generation and the rest from market borrowings, the government and the external donors.
In the last category Sidbi does have a line of credit from OECF KFW, ADB and the World Bank.
