What is Cluster financing in MSME?

What is Cluster financing? Cluster based approach to lending is intended to provide a full-service approach to cater to the diverse needs of the MSE sector which may be achieved through extending banking services to recognized MSE clusters. A cluster based approach may be more beneficial (a)in dealing with well-defined and recognized groups (b) availability of appropriate information for risk assessment (c) monitoring by the lending institutions and (d) reduction in costs.  The banks have, therefore, been advised to treat it as a thrust area and increasingly adopt the same for SME financing. United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has identified 388 clusters spread over 21 states in various parts of the country. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has also approved a list of clusters under the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) and Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) located in 121 Minority Concentration Districts. Accordingly, banks have been advised to take appropriate measures to improve the credit flow to the identified clusters.  Banks have also been advised that they should open more MSE focused branch offices at different MSE clusters which can also act as counseling.