Latest news with #Saarathi
Economic Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Saarathi Finance, secures Rs 475 crores equity capital to enable formal credit to micro and nano businesses
Saarathi Finance, a newly licensed Greenfield Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) dedicated to empowering India's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), has announced the successful closure of its inaugural funding round, raising a total of Rs 475 crores. The capital infusion will support Saarathi's mission to bridge the significant credit gap faced by MSMEs, particularly in underserved semi-urban and rural regions across Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, underpinning the theme of inclusive growth for Bharat. ADVERTISEMENT The funding round was led by prominent investors, including TVS Capital Funds, Lok Capital, Evolvence Equity Partners, Paragon Partners, and prominent angels collectively contributing about Rs 350 crores. Vivek Bansal, Founder and CEO, and Sunil Daga, Co-Founder, infused balance amount underscoring their commitment to the venture. The Series A investment values Saarathi Finance at over Rs 900 crores. 'We are committed to empowering Bharat's entrepreneurs by providing more than just credit – a partnership that values and supports their growth. This funding milestone enables us to accelerate our mission, ensuring every stakeholder, from entrepreneurs to investors, is valued and cared for in our journey. With heartfelt gratitude to our stakeholders, friends, and family, we embark on this exciting journey,' said Vivek Bansal, Founder and CEO, Saarathi Finance, in a statement. According to Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, 'Saarathi Finance embodies the spirit of inclusive growth that aligns with our vision of supporting micro and nano businesses crucial to India's journey towards a $10 trillion economy. Their focus on MSMEs in underserved regions resonates with our commitment to empowering next-generation entrepreneurs who are the backbone of India's economic development.''We have been a part of the evolving secured micro- enterprise lending space for over a decade now, and see innovation and capital emerging as serious moats. We are excited to partner with Saarathi as the next generation of market leaders in this space,' said Rajat Bansal, Managing Director, Lok Finance's approach combines technology-driven solutions with personalized customer engagement, offering both secured and unsecured loans tailored to the unique needs of MSMEs. The company's emphasis on flexible income assessment and rapid loan processing aims to make credit more accessible to entrepreneurs who have traditionally been overlooked by formal financial institutions. ADVERTISEMENT 'We are strong believers in Saarathi's mission to bridge the large credit gap for underbanked MSMEs in India. With an exceptional founding team and the right capital support, Saarathi is well positioned to build a high-quality, enduring lending franchise. We're excited to partner with them on this journey,' Abhishek Chandra, Partner, Evolvence Equity Partners said.'We are thrilled to partner with Saarathi Finance at the very start of their journey, as they address the significant unmet demand for credit among India's MSMEs. With Vivek Bansal's proven leadership at InCred and Sunil Daga's deep experience in secured lending at Kotak Bank, Saarathi has built a high-calibre team poised to drive financial inclusion. We are bullish on the MSME secured LAP segment and believe Saarathi is uniquely positioned to unlock its vast potential in India,' said Siddharth Parekh, Senior Partner and Co-Founder, Paragon Partners. ADVERTISEMENT
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Saarathi Finance, secures Rs 475 crores equity capital to enable formal credit to micro and nano businesses
Saarathi Finance , a newly licensed Greenfield Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) dedicated to empowering India's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), has announced the successful closure of its inaugural funding round, raising a total of Rs 475 crores. The capital infusion will support Saarathi's mission to bridge the significant credit gap faced by MSMEs, particularly in underserved semi-urban and rural regions across Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, underpinning the theme of inclusive growth for Bharat. The funding round was led by prominent investors, including TVS Capital Funds, Lok Capital , Evolvence Equity Partners, Paragon Partners, and prominent angels collectively contributing about Rs 350 crores. Vivek Bansal, Founder and CEO, and Sunil Daga , Co-Founder, infused balance amount underscoring their commitment to the venture. The Series A investment values Saarathi Finance at over Rs 900 crores. 'We are committed to empowering Bharat's entrepreneurs by providing more than just credit – a partnership that values and supports their growth. This funding milestone enables us to accelerate our mission, ensuring every stakeholder, from entrepreneurs to investors, is valued and cared for in our journey. With heartfelt gratitude to our stakeholders, friends, and family, we embark on this exciting journey,' said Vivek Bansal, Founder and CEO, Saarathi Finance, in a statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo According to Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, 'Saarathi Finance embodies the spirit of inclusive growth that aligns with our vision of supporting micro and nano businesses crucial to India's journey towards a $10 trillion economy. Their focus on MSMEs in underserved regions resonates with our commitment to empowering next-generation entrepreneurs who are the backbone of India's economic development.' 'We have been a part of the evolving secured micro- enterprise lending space for over a decade now, and see innovation and capital emerging as serious moats. We are excited to partner with Saarathi as the next generation of market leaders in this space,' said Rajat Bansal, Managing Director, Lok Capital. Live Events Saarathi Finance's approach combines technology-driven solutions with personalized customer engagement, offering both secured and unsecured loans tailored to the unique needs of MSMEs. The company's emphasis on flexible income assessment and rapid loan processing aims to make credit more accessible to entrepreneurs who have traditionally been overlooked by formal financial institutions. 'We are strong believers in Saarathi's mission to bridge the large credit gap for underbanked MSMEs in India. With an exceptional founding team and the right capital support, Saarathi is well positioned to build a high-quality, enduring lending franchise. We're excited to partner with them on this journey,' Abhishek Chandra, Partner, Evolvence Equity Partners said. 'We are thrilled to partner with Saarathi Finance at the very start of their journey, as they address the significant unmet demand for credit among India's MSMEs. With Vivek Bansal's proven leadership at InCred and Sunil Daga's deep experience in secured lending at Kotak Bank, Saarathi has built a high-calibre team poised to drive financial inclusion. We are bullish on the MSME secured LAP segment and believe Saarathi is uniquely positioned to unlock its vast potential in India,' said Siddharth Parekh, Senior Partner and Co-Founder, Paragon Partners.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
It's Your Business I Murder, mayhem and movie-making in the Midwest
Mar. 23—When independent filmmaker Vijay M. Rajan moved to the area about three years ago so that his wife could launch her own business, he didn't expect to do a lot of movie-making in Champaign County. However, as he began to plan out "Dark Soul River," a psychological thriller set in the Midwest, he learned that there were a lot of local resources to pull from — such as the recently-launched Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul, where Rajan has been filming scenes over the past week. "I love the entrepreneurial spirit in Champaign and Urbana," he said. "We've been welcomed into so many places for locations. The Champaign film office helped us get so many things, deals on hotels, logistics, things like that. It was a very open community, really, to helping us get the resources we needed." "Dark Soul River" centers on two leads: Nathanael Ambrose, the "Kaw Valley Killer," and Saarathi, a Brahmin Hindu from India and the brother of one of Ambrose's victims. A week before his execution, Ambrose says he will share where more victims are buried, but only with Saarathi. "It is a dark and morbid story, but I think that there's a lot of hope and belief in good when it comes to the war of good versus evil," said Rajan, who is both writer and director of the film. "As much as it's inspired by 'Silence of the Lambs,' my ending is very much an inversion of 'Silence of the Lambs.'" The film is shot almost entirely in Champaign County, with the exception of some scenes filmed in Kickapoo State Park and along the Middle Fork Vermilion River as a stand-in for the Kansas River. Some familiar locales residents might recognize in the finished project include the Royer House and the Rantoul Recreation Center. Rajan added that he's very grateful to Flyover Film Studios, as he had previously planned to shoot the interrogation scenes — which make up a third of the film — in his own home. Being able to create custom sets on Flyover's soundstages, on the other hand, allows the crew to line up more creative shots and makes the movie, which has a budget of under $300,000, "look like a million-dollar film," he said. More information about the movie and a link to donate can be found at . "We have very, very high hopes for this film when it comes to distribution," Rajan said. The Corn Crib of Newman, located at 107 E. Yates St., is for sale. Co-owner Erica Burris said that she and her husband, Scott, put the property on the market about 18 months ago. While the two of them have loved running the Corn Crib, she said that the current business climate for restaurants is challenging, particularly in smaller towns. Additionally, the couple has three kids to take care of, along with a farm and a hearing aid business Erica helps her mother with. "I don't feel like we're able to give this business the care that it deserves and the energy it deserves," she said. "...It deserves to be great." When asked if she and her husband plan to keep the restaurant open until they find a buyer, Erica said she is trying to decide what to do next and will "stick it out" as long as she can. Her goal is to have a way forward by this summer, whether that's a new owner who will keep the building open as a restaurant or one who will convert it into something else. It's Erica's hope that, whatever's next for the building, it will continue to benefit the local economy and be a special meeting place for the community. "When this place is packed, like especially on a Friday night, and there are families here and there's people in the bar and watching sports or enjoying happy hour and then you have families on the other side in our restaurant, everybody talks," she said. "Everybody goes to each other's table and you hardly see people sitting." The current asking price for the property is a little under $300,000; more information is available at a listing from Keller Williams The Real Estate Center of Illinois at . Resistance Threads, a new vintage clothing store at 405 S. Neil St. in Champaign, will have a grand opening at noon on March 29. "My shop is more than just a store," wrote owner Emily Petak on social media. "It's a place of expression, community, and conscious fashion. My goal is to help people shift from fast fashion to slow, intentional shopping while offering a range of pieces at different price points from more affordable finds to rare, one of a kind gems." Petak added that while she currently specializes in 1990s fashion, the shop's ever-changing inventory will feature a mix of "true vintage" and modern items. Gateway Shoppes at Five Points, a 12-suite retail center on East University Avenue that includes Po' Boys, recently sold for $3.375 million, announced Marcus & Millichap. The firm listed the property on behalf of Prairie Holdings Newton, LLC and procured the buyer, Nikolas Chugay. "Our client has invested in a portfolio of multi-tenant retail properties across the U.S.," said David O'Keefe, first vice president investments at Marcus & Millichap. "This deal was particularly attractive due to its 8.47% going-in cap rate, proximity to the University of Illinois, and a strong mix of e-commerce-resistant tenants."
