Mumbai: NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has onboarded NABARD Financial Services Limited (NABFINS), a subsidiary of the Natioxnal Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), onto Bharat Connect under the Loan Repayment category.
The integration enables NABFINS borrowers to conveniently pay their loan EMIs and overdue instalments through an extensive network of Bharat Connect-enabled channels. Customers can now access more than 1,000 banking and payment apps and over eight lakh physical agent outlets across the country, significantly expanding their payment options beyond the limited digital touchpoints currently available to them.
NABFINS serves more than one lakh customers across 19 states. By leveraging Bharat Connect’s interoperable network, these borrowers can make loan repayments through their preferred digital or assisted payment channels. The expanded accessibility is expected to simplify regular and missed EMI payments, reduce payment delays, and provide customers with a more convenient and seamless repayment experience.
The integration was facilitated by Canara Bank, the Biller Operating Unit (BOU), and marks a significant milestone in expanding accessible digital and assisted loan repayment options for the microfinance sector. It also reinforces Bharat Connect’s role in advancing financial inclusion by extending secure, interoperable, and convenient payment services to customers across geographies.
Highlighting the significance of the association, Dr. Y Haragopal, Managing Director, NABFINS, said, “At NABFINS, our mission is to extend responsible and inclusive financial services to underserved communities across the country. Our association with NPCI Bharat Connect is another step towards enabling seamless, secure, and convenient digital payment solutions for our customers. This initiative reinforces our commitment to leverage technology to promote financial inclusion and enhance customer experience.”
Mr. Sunil Kumar Chugh, Executive Director, Canara Bank said, “Canara Bank is pleased to facilitate the onboarding of NABFINS on the Bharat Connect ecosystem. This integration marks an important milestone in enabling seamless and convenient digital loan repayment solutions for borrowers, particularly in the microfinance sector. Canara Bank remains committed to fostering digital innovation and strengthening the digital payment ecosystem, thereby contributing the greater financial inclusion and enhanced customer convenience across the country.”
Speaking on the development, Dr. Noopur Chaturvedi, MD & CEO, NBBL, said “This development marks an important step towards digitising loan collections in the microfinance sector. Through this integration, we are enabling borrowers to benefit from Bharat Connect’s expanding and interoperable network, making loan repayments more accessible, convenient, and seamless. We welcome NABFINS to the Bharat Connect ecosystem and remain committed to enhancing financial accessibility, driving digital adoption, and advancing financial inclusion across India.”
The onboarding marks another step in expanding the Loan Repayment category on Bharat Connect. The category now boasts over 400 billers including banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs). In H1 FY 2026-2027, the category processed over 18.8 crore transactions valued at approximately ₹1.23 lakh crore registering year-on-year growth of 18% in transaction volume and 31% in value highlighting its growing adoption among users.
