Bandhan’s Founder Thinks Bengal’s Next Big Credit Story Is Only Just Beginning

Kalpana Kanungo - Mumbai Bureau May 22, 2026 5,900 Views

Bandhan founder Chandra Shekhar Ghosh sees a fresh wave of growth potential in West Bengal, arguing that the state’s underserved borrowers and emerging entrepreneurs still represent a massive runway for inclusive banking. He believes Bandhan’s deep roots in the region, branch density and microcredit network position it uniquely to capture the next phase of demand.

Ghosh, who built Bandhan from a small microfinance operation in Bengal into a full-service bank, has long argued that eastern India’s credit penetration lags its economic potential. As infrastructure improves, women’s participation rises and small businesses formalise, he expects demand for small-ticket loans, savings products and insurance to accelerate, especially outside Kolkata.

Why Bengal Still Looks Underserved

Despite Bandhan’s own scale-up, many districts in Bengal and neighbouring states remain under-banked, with low formal credit-to-GDP ratios. Ghosh sees this “gap” as an opportunity rather than a constraint, especially for a lender that understands local culture, migration patterns and informal cash flows from decades of microfinance work in the region.

Bandhan’s Home Advantage

Bengal is Bandhan’s home market: it started by offering tiny loans to women in the state and gradually expanded to become one of India’s largest micro-lenders before winning a banking licence. That legacy gives it strong brand recall, dense last-mile presence and field staff who are trusted in local communities crucial for cross-selling deposits, insurance and MSME loans.

The Road Ahead For Growth

Ghosh’s thesis is that the “next leg” of growth will come from moving customers up the financial ladder from group micro-loans to individual business loans, housing finance, and full banking relationships. If Bengal’s income levels and urbanisation continue to improve, Bandhan could deepen wallet share in familiar territory instead of chasing riskier, unfamiliar geographies.

Bandhan Bengal Opportunity Highlights

Founder sees eastern India’s low credit penetration as headroom, not a hurdle
Bandhan’s origins in Bengal give it dense last-mile reach and trust
Large base of women borrowers can be upgraded to full banking customers
Improving infrastructure and formalisation expected to lift small-business credit demand
Strategy focuses on deepening in core markets rather than only chasing new ones