Economic Empowerment

Vision and Mission of ATMS is to create Agri business for small & Marginal farmers for Economic Empowerment. For that Bank Linkage is a must.

The unorganized small & marginal farmers in Agri & allied sector from Assam do not have the privilege to get linked with the Bank in priority sector loan except KCC loan, directive loan, personal farm loan.

Remedy Developed by GOI:

Way back in the year 2000, Govt. of India developed the concept of "Cluster Approach" to help small & marginal framers to gain the economy of scale and improve their market standing. Subsequently, during the next 10 years Banking Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) conducted elaborate research to come out with the solution as FPO and FPC.

Finally, around 2010, FPO and FPC started getting implemented all over India. Govt. of Assam started implementation of FPOs/FPCs in 2015 for these underdeveloped sector with small & marginal farmers.

It is apparent that certain portion of large Agri, Allied & MSE sector by virtue of being organized and developed can demand Bank Linkage. ATMS' endeavor for Bank Linkage for the sector predominated by small and marginal farmers.

• Tea Sector (large ticket loan)
• Schematic (Small ticket loan in MSE)
• Non-Schematic Small ticket loan in cultivation, Plantation and farming of Livestock.
• Schematic above Rs.10 lakh upto Rs.2 crores.

Achievement of promoters prior to 2015 in linking the Bank:

ATMS was started with a group of people experienced in Tea, Agriculture, Plantation, Finance and Banking. We have the understanding that with the endeavour of Govt. of India, bank linkage with these FPOS/FPCs will definitely bring in desired economic empowerment for the rural sector of Assam.

Achievement of Bank Linkage in Assam:

Prior to formation of ATMS by the Promoter director:

• 1993 - First in Assam to transact in Foreign Exchange in United Bank Guwahati to facilitate first merchant export of Tea from Assam.
• 1997 - First in India to develop the product to fund Tea broking company in Assam with the help of Bank of India.
• 2001 - Pursued with UTI Bank (now Axis Bank) to start Core Banking Operation in Assam and subsequently entire North-East.

Achievement during post formation period of ATMS:

• 2013-2014 - First in India to arrange large ticket loan of Rs. 5 crores for three Farmer Producer Organisations with small tea grower supported by UCO Bank Assam.
• 2019 - Developed Banking product for Farmer Producer Company for agriculture sector supported by HDFC after persuasion of two years.

Note: (Failed to work out due to withdrawal of certain credit guarantee schemes of SFAC).

Post Covid effort in getting Bank Linkage for this developed sector in small ticket schematic loan:

To support this developed sector, Govt. of India introduced many schemes from 2020 with a proper guidelines based on the concept of Cluster Approach. Assam experienced huge rejection for these small ticket loan below Rs.10 lakhs. This is due to lack of understanding from both end i.e. applicant and banker about "How to Link"

Our research to mitigate these challenges:

For successful bank linkage for this developed Agri Allied sector all the stakeholders need to come to a common understanding about the Concept, Research and implementation of FPO, FPCs by GOI.

• Bank linkage is for the organized Agri, Allied & MSE sector predominated by small and marginal farmers.
• KCC, Directive loan, Personal farm loan etc. of past present or future are no way concerned with this linkage.
• Customized loan product should be made available for this sector by the bank.