In our latest episode of 'Wiping out the Norm', show host Radhika Bajoria sits down with Hardika Shah, Founder & CEO of Kinara Capital, a trailblazer in MSME fintech driving financial inclusion for small business entrepreneurs in India.
Kinara Capital is ranked among 'Top High-Growth Companies in Asia-Pacific' by The Financial Times and as 'India's Growth Champions' by The Economic Times. They've won the Gold award as 'Bank of the Year-Asia' by the IFC/SME Finance Forum for their impact on SME Financing.
Prior to Kinara Capital, Hardika spent two decades as a management consultant with Accenture, working on billion-dollar projects globally. Her passion for social impact led her to mentorship roles with prestigious institutions like Stanford University and the Acumen Fund.
"I saw the divide happening in India... I wanted to study what and why was that case and what and why was the things not reaching to a certain people." Hardika shares her journey and mission, highlighting her MBA from Columbia Business School & Haas School of Business.
Founded in 2011, Kinara Capital fills the MSME credit gap with collateral-free business loans, using AI/ML for fast decisions. The myKinara App offers a 1-minute eligibility check and 24-hour loan process.
Committed to gender parity, Hardika leads with a women-majority team and drives inclusivity in company culture. The HerVikas program supports women entrepreneurs, while CSR initiatives aid women micro-entrepreneurs.
Kinara Capital has disbursed $300M+ to 40,000+ entrepreneurs, creating 250,000+ jobs and generating $100M+ in income. Based in Bangalore, they serve MSMEs in 100+ cities across India.
Under Hardika’s vision, Kinara Capital is recognized for innovation, ranked among ‘Top 500 High-Growth Companies in Asia-Pacific’ by the Financial Times for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022).
Watch the full episode to dive into Hardika's inspiring journey and Kinara Capital's impactful mission!
Link-https://youtu.be/ZgbvziGaC-A