Microfinance Focus, November 30, 2011: Karnatak based Samrudhi Microfin Society, a non profit microfinance institution has launched an online Peer-to-Peer (P2P) lending portal that connects social investors to its clients, replacing field partners.

The portal is hosted at wecareindia.org where investors can directly lend to low income women entrepreneurs in India.

Initially the loans will be focused on micro-credit, education, healthcare and agriculture and lenders will be given a return on their social investment (principal and interest) according to the repayment schedule of the borrower.

Samrudhi claims that the return on investment for social investors is between 6-10 percent, at par with the nationalize banks in India. Cost of funds to borrowers is between 12-18 percent.