New Delhi, Jun 11 (KNN) The State Bank of India (SBI), the nation's preeminent banking institution, unveiled a pioneering digital lending initiative aimed at revolutionising access to credit for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the country.

Titled ‘SME Digital Business Loans,’ this cutting-edge platform leverages advanced data analytics and automated closure to condense the entire loan sanctioning process to a mere 45 minutes from start to finish.

Developed as part of SBI's strategic focus on the MSME segment for driving future growth, the new offering harnesses application programming interfaces (APIs) to seamlessly integrate verified data sources such as income tax returns, goods and services tax (GST) filings, and bank statements.

This robust ecosystem enables SBI's proprietary credit assessment engine to render loan approval decisions within just 10 seconds after applicants submit the requisite information, without any manual intervention.

Notably, the platform eliminates the conventional requirement for financial statements for loans up to Rs 50 lakh, relying instead on transactional records and GST returns for risk evaluation.

This radical departure from traditional underwriting practices underscores SBI's commitment to enhancing ease of access while mitigating costs and delays historically associated with MSME lending.

"We are committed to setting a new industry benchmark with SME Digital Business Loans, underscoring our constant efforts to drive innovation in MSME lending," remarked Dinesh Khara, Chairman, SBI.

He further explained, "By leveraging the rich data footprint of MSME units, we aim to provide the fastest and most intuitive lending process, further solidifying our position as the leading MSME lender in the country."

Vinay Tonse, Managing Director for Retail Banking and Operations, SBI, emphasised the bank's focus on empowering MSMEs through disruptive technologies.

He stated, "With this launch, we are offering a unique proposition to both new and existing MSME relationships, ensuring in-principle sanction within 45 minutes, ultimately enabling MSMEs to thrive in today's dynamic business landscape."

The SME Digital Business Loans platform will be accessible to customers through SBI's extensive network of branches, dedicated SME centres, online portals, and digital channels.

The bank plans to further augment availability through its correspondent banking partners and QR code-enabled outdoor kiosks in the coming months.

(KNN Bureau)