Boehler visiting India as part of a delegation led by President Trump
DWARKA – U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Chief Executive Officer Adam Boehler met with borrowers of SEWA Grih Rin Limited (Sitara), which provides affordable financing to low-income women to support home purchases, construction, and critical improvements. The visit follows DFC’s commitment to invest $30 million in Sitara to improve access to safe and secure homes in India.
“DFC’s investment in Sitara is helping empower women and create stronger communities by providing clean, safe, and secure homes for low-income women and their families throughout India,” said Boehler. “I was honored to visit Sitara borrowers in Dwarka and observe firsthand the impact that DFC investments deliver around the world. I look forward to DFC supporting other highly developmental projects like Sitara and to continued investments in projects that promote women’s economic empowerment.”
“This substantial and flexible loan from DFC will be very important in our mission to help the urban poor women lift themselves out of poverty,” said Sitara Chairperson Renana Jhabvala. “With this new funding, we will continue to expand the frontier of pro-poor, women-centric housing finance.”
India’s urban centers face an estimated housing shortage of 10 million units, disproportionately impacting low-income individuals and women. Beyond this shortfall, more than 25 million residents live in informal settlements that are often unsafe and lack basic services such as sanitation.
Since 2015, Sitara has been working to bridge India’s housing gap by providing microloans to low-income households—particularly their female members—in urban regions of the country. Sitara loans help its borrowers purchase and build homes as well as support critical improvements such as the addition of a permanent roof or toilet, which can make the difference between a substandard dwelling and a safe and secure home. To date, Sitara has reached over 9,000 borrowers, improving the living conditions of more than 35,000 individuals.
DFC’s investment in Sitara advances its 2X Women’s Initiative, which seeks to invest in businesses and funds owned by women, led by women, or providing a product or service that intentionally empowers women. 2X supports the U.S. Government’s broader Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative.
Boehler is visiting India as part of a delegation led by U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
###
U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is America’s development bank. DFC partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. We invest across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology. DFC also provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets. DFC investments adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights.