Lending to SMEs proving to be attractive entrepreneurial opportunity for startups in India

For millions of small businesses in India, hunting for credit has always been a challenge. They represent the 'missing middle' - un-catered to by financial lenders that would rather reach for the top of the pyramid or the bottom.
But the middle is large. India has about 57.7 million small business units, many of them small proprietorships. A host of startups are now stepping in, providing debt financing and working capital loans to these enterprises. Venture and private equity, too, are pouring capital into this ecosystem in the making.