IIFL Finance opens 1st branch in J&K

Jammu, Sep 6: IIFL Finance, one of India’s leading non-banking financial companies (NBFC), has opened its first branch in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, marking a major step in expanding credit services to the region with a focus on financial inclusion.

The branch was inaugurated at Talab Tillo, Jammu, by MLA Jammu West Constituency Arvind Gupta, DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range Shiv Kumar Sharma, SSP ACB Central JKUT Surinder Kumar, along with IIFL Finance’s strategy lead Sumit Mishra, head of gold loan business Manish Mayank, regional manager Ravinder Yadav, and territory manager Arun Kumar Sharma.

Welcoming IIFL’s entry into J&K, MLA Arvind Gupta said, “This is an important development for the region. Access to credit services is essential for small entrepreneurs to fulfil their ambitions and support the economy. We appreciate IIFL Finance’s efforts in financial inclusion and CSR over the last decade.”

IIFL’s head of gold loan business, Manish Mayank, said the move aims to bring formal credit closer to people historically excluded from the system. “At a time when many families and small businesses are coping with livelihood challenges, our branches in J&K will help households rebuild and support small enterprises in finding their feet again,” he said.

The company said its expansion in J&K complements its CSR outreach, which includes initiatives in Kupwara, Baramulla, Srinagar and other districts, focusing on education, skill development, healthcare and community empowerment.

IIFL Foundation has been active in Kashmir for more than a decade. During the 2014 floods, it supported LD Hospital with incubator machines, and in collaboration with the Indian Army, it launched a skill development program that trained over 300 young people in retail, hospitality, coding and beautician trades, with placements across India. Recently, the foundation donated an ambulance for residents in the remote Lolab Valley to strengthen healthcare access.