Kenya–India knowledge exchange explores MSME finance and digital agriculture

• by MSC
• Oct 1, 2026
• 2 min

In September 2026, MSC facilitated a series of cross-country knowledge-exchange sessions with Indian institutions and Kenya-based Equity Group Holdings, one of Africa’s leading financial services groups. The exchange brought together perspectives from Delhi and Bihar and covered India’s approaches to MSME finance, digital financial infrastructure, and digital agriculture. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and CRIF also contributed their experience and insights.

In Mumbai, the knowledge exchange explored how India is expanding access to finance for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Topics included the Udyam Assist Portal and how it formalizes informal microenterprises, SIDBI’s co-lending initiative with regional rural banks (RRBs), data-enabled credit assessment, and green finance. Participants also exchanged perspectives on India’s account aggregator framework and how its consent-based, customer-controlled approach to financial data exchange can improve credit assessment, reduce documentation and processing costs, and widen access to finance.

The exchange then extended to Bihar, where a two-day visit by the Equity Group representatives focused on the state’s digital agriculture ecosystem. Discussions covered Bihar Krishi, the Farmer Registry, digital crop surveys, agricultural advisory, market linkages, and agricultural finance and credit. Participants also exchanged perspectives on how geospatial technologies, satellite imagery, and geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) can strengthen crop intelligence, agricultural planning, and data-driven decision-making.

The exchange enabled participants to compare approaches and share implementation experience. It also explored how digital public infrastructure (DPI), geospatial solutions, enterprise formalization, and institutional partnerships can support finance and service delivery for farmers and MSMEs across different contexts. The exchange enabled participants to explore how these lessons from India and Kenya could inform approaches in each market.

Through this Learning Across Borders engagement, MSC facilitated a two-way exchange that connected institutional experience, digital innovations, and implementation lessons across Kenya and India.