Northern Arc’s FY‑25 sector trends report on micro‑, small‑ and medium‑enterprise (MSME) non‑banking financial companies (NBFCs) offers a granular look at funding, asset quality and profitability for 45 partner NBFCs. This article presents the slide deck into an accessible narrative while preserving key data points, charts and maps from the original report. Click here to access the deck.
Snapshot of MSME NBFC partners
The report surveys 45 partner NBFCs split across product categories and business models. Secured MSME lenders form the majority (23 entities) followed by unsecured MSME (16 entities) and supply‑chain finance (6 entities). Conventional NBFCs dominate the market (36 entities) while fintech players number nine. Around 16 NBFCs have assets under management (AUM) above ₹2,000 crore, 11 fall between ₹500–2,000 crore and 18 manage sub‑₹500 crore books. Rating distribution skews toward the BBB category (18 entities) with 14 entities rated A or above and 13 unrated. A state‑level heat map reveals that Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka contribute the largest shares of FY‑25 AUM, while other states have relatively lower exposure.
Sector AUM: healthy growth driven by secured lending
AUM growth moderated in FY‑24 and FY‑25 compared with the rapid expansion seen in FY‑22 and FY‑23, yet the overall portfolio remained healthy thanks to the secured segment. The report notes that sector AUM growth moderates but remains healthy with support from the secured segment. The secured MSME book expanded steadily to ₹73,539 crore by Q4 FY‑25, while the unsecured MSME book plateaued around ₹30,000 crore and supply‑chain finance remained a small contributor. Fintech NBFCs grew from a negligible base to about ₹23,633 crore AUM but conventional lenders still accounted for more than 75 % of the total.
Disbursement trends
Disbursements grew strongly until FY‑23 but turned negative for the unsecured segment in FY‑25. Secured MSME disbursements continued to rise, reaching ₹12,390 crore in Q4 FY‑25, whereas unsecured MSME disbursements peaked earlier and then declined. Supply‑chain finance disbursements stayed modest. Fintech NBFCs gained share but remained far smaller than their conventional counterparts.
Asset quality: GNPA, NNPA and provisioning
The report emphasises that GNPA and NNPA ratios overshot their through‑the‑cycle averages in FY‑25. For secured MSME lenders, GNPA rose from 2.1 % in FY‑22 to 3.2 % in FY‑25 and NNPA increased from 1.4 % to 2.3 %. Provisioning coverage declined from 31 % to 28.9 %. Unsecured MSME lenders saw GNPA climb to 4.5 % and NNPA to 2.5 %, with provisioning coverage hovering around 44 %. Supply‑chain finance reported an average GNPA of 3.0 % and NNPA of 2.3 %. These figures underscore rising stress, particularly for unsecured and supply‑chain portfolios.
Portfolio asset quality & capital buffers
Asset quality deterioration is further visible in portfolio‑at‑risk metrics. The slide titled With unsecured and supply‑chain entities’ portfolio quality worsening shows PAR 90/AUM rising from 2.6 % to 4.5 % for unsecured MSME. Supply‑chain finance PAR 90/AUM jumped from 0.6 % to 5.4 %, albeit with very low write‑offs, while secured MSME portfolios maintained relatively stable PAR 90 around 3 %. When PAR 90 is measured relative to tangible net worth, unsecured MSME and supply‑chain segments show ratios exceeding 22 %.
Collection efficiency & portfolio performance
Collection efficiency remained high for secured MSME lenders (around 97 – 98 %) but deteriorated for unsecured MSME lenders, declining to roughly 94 % by late FY‑24. Rising delinquencies are evident in PAR 90, which climbed from 2.4 % to 3.0 % for secured MSME and from 2.5 % to 4.5 % for unsecured MSME.
State‑wise AUM concentration
The geographic spread of MSME lending remains concentrated. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka accounted for the largest shares of AUM in FY‑25. Telangana and Maharashtra each held about 9 – 10 % of the portfolio, while other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi each accounted for 4 – 5 %. The accompanying chart shows PAR 90 levels by state: Maharashtra and Gujarat recorded the highest PAR 90%.
Co‑lending share
Co‑lending—the practice of originating loans jointly with banks—gained traction post‑FY‑22 but began to decline in FY‑25 as entities focused on asset quality and regulatory compliance. The report notes that the share of co‑lending drops as entities focus on asset quality and regulatory compliance. Overall co‑lending share peaked at around 20 % in Q4 FY‑24 before falling to 16.8 % by Q4 FY‑25. Co‑lending accounted for just 12.3 % of secured MSME AUM and 30.9 % of unsecured MSME AUM in FY‑25. Smaller NBFCs (AUM < ₹500 crore) relied more on co‑lending, with 28.9 % of their books co‑originated.
Leverage & equity infusion trends
Debt‑to‑net‑worth (Debt/TNW) ratios increased for unsecured MSME NBFCs, rising from 2.1x in FY‑22 to 2.8x in FY‑25. Secured MSME NBFCs maintained leverage around 2.4x–2.2x, while supply‑chain NBFCs reduced leverage from 2.5x to 1.9x over the same period. Equity infusions were concentrated in secured MSME NBFCs, which attracted large investments and recorded 16 deals in FY‑25; unsecured NBFCs raised smaller amounts.
Debt funding composition
Funding patterns shifted as NBFCs diversified away from bank borrowings. In FY‑25, the share of non‑bank financial companies (NBFCs) and capital‑market instruments (debentures, securitisations) increased. Lower‑rated entities (BBB and unrated) relied more on NBFC funding and alternative investment funds. Product‑wise data show that direct assignments and pass‑through certificates (DA/PTC) and term loans/credit lines (TL/CC) were the dominant instruments. This diversification has helped mitigate liquidity risk.
Key equity infusion & rating migration since FY‑22
The report lists major equity infusions and rating upgrades for individual NBFCs. Several entities received fresh capital in FY‑25—including one with ₹1,265 crore infusion—and many recorded rating upgrades to A‑ or AA‑ categories.
Liquidity: leverage under control with adequate cash buffers
The liquidity analysis compares free cash and cash equivalents to debt outstanding. Secured MSME NBFCs maintained free cash equivalent to around 24 % of debt, while unsecured MSME lenders held 17 %. Segment‑wise leverage and liquidity charts show that unsecured MSME NBFCs operate with higher leverage and lower liquidity, whereas secured MSME and larger (>₹2,000 crore) entities maintain stronger liquidity positions.
Pre‑provisioning operating profit (PPOP) vs credit cost
Rising credit costs eroded the buffer of pre‑provisioning operating profit over credit cost. The report observes that the pre‑provisioning operating profit buffer over credit cost falls due to rising credit cost. For unsecured MSME NBFCs, average credit cost exceeded PPOP in FY‑25, resulting in negative buffers.
Financial performance and profitability
Despite yields (around 22 – 23 %), rising credit costs and operating expenses reduced profitability. Net profit after tax (PAT) as a percentage of gross loan portfolio (GLP) declined from 2.6 % in FY‑23 to 1.5 % in FY‑25. The return‑on‑equity (ROE) trend shows a peak of 7.6 % in FY‑24 falling to 2.7 % in FY‑25. Product‑wise return‑on‑assets (RoA) trees illustrate that secured MSME portfolios generate higher yields with lower credit costs, while supply‑chain finance exhibits thin profitability due to high operating expenses and modest yields.
Conclusion
Northern Arc’s FY‑25 MSME NBFC report paints a picture of a sector grappling with slower growth and rising credit stress. Secured MSME lending continues to expand and deliver better asset quality, while unsecured and supply‑chain segments face higher delinquency and tightening liquidity. Co‑lending and bank financing share declined as NBFCs diversified funding sources and focused on regulatory compliance. Equity infusions flowed primarily to better‑rated, secured lenders, and rating migrations were generally positive. Overall leverage remains manageable, yet profitability is under pressure due to higher credit costs.
Disclaimer
This article is based on Northern Arc’s FY-25 MSME NBFCs sector report. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation.