Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited

Equitas understands that access to affordable healthcare is of paramount importance and a major pain point among the underprivileged sections.

Provides Health Education for Healthy living
Conducts Medical Camps
Runs Equitas Sugam Clinics to address the need among families belonging to Low Income Households (LIH) availing doctor consultation. Under this model at EDIT clinic, a qualified doctor will be available from 10 AM to 1 PM. The patient’s history is documented and medicines are prescribed as per the need.
Hospital Project: Equitas has identified lack of access to affordable healthcare as a key pain point for the marginalized sections of the society. Equitas Healthcare Foundation (EHF) has been established to provide access to affordable healthcare to the underprivileged sections with special emphasis on cancer care.
Secondary Health Care & Health Help line: Equitas has also tied up with a large number of hospitals to help for getting inpatient treatment for serious illnesses at a discount to normal cost.

Equitas has imparted training to Self Help Group women members in skills such as Tailoring & Embroidery, Agarbathi / Candle making, Detergent Powder/ Phenyl manufacturing and preparing processed foods such as Pickles & Jams. These training programs are structured as week-long programs. The skill development program has helped to improve the income of the beneficiaries. Studies reveal that 52% of the trained members earn additional supplemental income in the range of Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 per month using the newly acquired skills. Equitas also has helped these trained women entrepreneurs to market their products by organizing temporary markets.
In another proactive step, Equitas has facilitated job fairs for unemployed youth from low income communities, with the help of recruiters and employers. Employment to unemployed youth has been arranged in companies and retail outlets like textile showrooms, malls, hospitals, BPOs etc.

This programme was commenced in 2010 for rehabilitating those families living on pavements, bus shelters, commercial areas in Chennai. Under this program, the Trust pays the rent on their behalf for 6 months during which they are taught livelihood skills and linked to local markets. From the 7th month onwards, they are required to make their rental payment by themselves. These families have attained self-sustenance status through this intervention from Equitas. Many people have received Voter ID cards and have applied for ration cards for the first time in their lives. From June 2023, this program has been expanded to Pune City as well. Out of these rehabilitated families, under a graduation program, members were formed into groups. After inputs on financial literacy and counselling, following all the regular process of getting KYC etc, micro loan was sanctioned. 100% repayment was observed in those loans till date.

Education is a key lever to enable upward social mobility for low income Self Help Group members’ children. Equitas has rolled out its Gurukul initiatives to “empower children from low income households, through high quality education at affordable cost”. EDIT is currently running seven such Gurukul schools. More than three fourths of the students are from Economically Weaker Sections as well as socially disadvantaged sections of the society
Equitas Gurukul Matriculation Schools provide high quality English medium holistic education to children from low-income families. These are run by Equitas Development Initiatives Trust.