Enabling SME access to finance for sustainable consumption and production in Asia – An overview of finance trends and barriers in India

By the mid of this century, India will have surpassed China as the most populated country in the world. To feed the additional hundreds of millions of people, to provide jobs for youths and to ensure a decent standard of living, the Indian economy needs to grow rapidly. Yet, to prevent that this economic growth results in even more overcrowding of cities, inadequate infrastructure, polluted air and water, the push for economic growth needs to go in hand with the push for sustainable consumption and production (SCP) practices. Especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to be encouraged and supported in adopting SCP practices as they - as elsewhere - form the backbone of the country's economy. Such support includes technical support and capacity building but also access to finance for implementing SCP measures. This study offers an up-to-date review of trends, opportunities and barriers in the Indian financial sector, with a special focus on SME access to green finance.