SRI. K. PAUL THOMAS

Founder, ESAF Group of Social Enterprises
MD & CEO, ESAF Small Finance Bank

Cooperatives are institutions driven by values, not just profit, and they always strive to build a better world through cooperation. Cooperatives around the world are allowing people to work together to create sustainable collective enterprises that generate long-term jobs and prosperity. This is synonymous with the larger objective of ESAF, which is to bring forth the dawn of financial peace by fighting the partiality of prosperity. The tradition and culture at ESAF is to uphold the spirit of servant leadership through which we aim to achieve the larger objective of financial inclusion. The ethical value system that we have developed has been the bedrock upon which the whole of ESAF ecosystem thrives and flourishes upon. No wonder, ESAF Cooperative has been a great social influencer throughout the turbulent times of Covid, with its relief activities amongst Covid warriors and affected general public, throughout the country

ESAF Cooperative throughout its decade long existence has been successful in keeping the cooperative spirit alive. Leveraging its capacity through a chain of subsidiaries, it is extending benefits and livelihood support services to members across the social spectrum. The active support extended to Dairy farmers by a subsidiary named Rhema Dairy Products, and the way in which a cohesive dairy supply chain is crafted in the villages of Cumbum, Theni, Bodinaikkannur and Chinnamannur, is a classic example of how we are aligned to the seventh cooperative principle “Concern for community”. The member-centric initiatives, products and services of ESAF Cooperative has always helped its members in setting up unique livelihood propositions and thereby reviving local economies which is the need of the hour, when the global economy also got affected with the pandemic meltdown.

Today ESAF Co-operative is spread across eight states and is successfully facilitating last-mile connectivity of ESAF Small Finance bank, by functioning as its Business Correspondent. At this moment, I would like to categorically state that ESAF Cooperative has played a spectacular role in the giant leap made by ESAF Small Finance Bank in its initial years of existence. The key differentiator of the bank which is door-step banking, would not have been possible without the commitment of the last mile field forces of ESAF Co-operative. I would like to immensely thank the shareholders, Board and all stake holders of ESAF Cooperative for the support rendered to the Bank, through all uncertainties

The recent progressive steps taken by the Union Government and various State Governments towards strengthening Cooperative movement in the country is quite commendable. The Union Government carved out a new ministry for Cooperation, which will act as a unique administrative, legal and policy frame work for strengthening the cooperative movement in India. The new ministry will work to streamline processes for ‘ease of doing business’ for cooperatives and enable development of multi-state co-operatives. “Sahakar Se Samridhi” or “Prosperity through Cooperation” which is the proclaimed vision of Government of India has strong parallels with the vision of ESAF Cooperative and its deep commitment towards people centric business models

We are one of the very few organizations that diligently works at the grass root level for womens empowerment. Millions of women are now earning a decent livelihood through entrepreneurship, with the skill sets offered through ESAF Cooperative. The journey was not always hurdle-free and still there is a long way to go. Let us keep a strong resolve to align ourselves to the triple bottom line approach of the ESAF ecosystem

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