Srividya Ravi has been a part of Rang De for a long time. It’s now 8 years since she joined as a Partner relationship manager.
How she got into this role is an interesting story to follow.
In the beginning.
It was back in 2014 when Srividya first heard about Rang De. It was a news article from Bangalore mirror featuring our CEO Ram and Smita. As it happened, a few months later, Srividya stumbled upon Smita. Rang De’s office was shifted to a place near Srividya’s house.
Srividya caught up for a casual talk. Smita shared that some opportunities were open and if it fits they could work together. Srividya hadn’t taken up any job after her marriage. It was when her kids became of age, that she decided to start anew.
After 14 years, she was aiming for a job. She wrote a mail to Smita, asking to volunteer for Rang De. Things worked out and after two months of volunteering, she was offered a permanent role. Srividya recalls how she had to learn everything from scratch. And with her time in Rang De, she understood why people were suffering in rural India and how crucial her work was.
Earlier Rang De used to lend loans with small ticket sizes, say 5-10k rupees. That too without any collateral. With her time with the community, she learned that, though the amount is small it makes a big impact on the lives of rural people. Giving them an opportunity to start afresh or aim ahead in their lives.
The hustle at work.
Rang De works with 46 Impact partners in 14 different states across India. Impact Partners are our foot soldiers who ensure the needs of the communities are listened to.
Srividya is one of our partner managers, they are the point of contact for the on-ground team.
Srividya ensures that all the processes and checks are in place. KYC, bank details, and credit agreements are all verified. She solves the queries the partner team has regarding Rang De loan products. Follow-ups on repayment, reports, and projections are all taken care of by Srividya.
Only when the due diligence is done by the partner managers the loans are disbursed. While there is significant automation in place to make the process seamless, there still will be a need for manual intervention.
Often partner teams require handholding for digital services, record keeping, etc. Since the work is highly done with rural communities these gaps are filled by the partner managers.
What lies ahead?
Srividya says affordable credit is crucial for millions of people. Rang De needs to reach out to more communities with different backgrounds. “We don’t know how many people are being exploited and in need of customized credit. If we are able to reach them, social investors can mitigate their problems”. As a partner manager, it is important for her to process more loans and connect people with the best available credit products. Give them a good understanding of what they're signing up for. Ensure that nothing is miscommunicated and hidden in fine prints. Transparency in loan applications is ensured through the efforts of the partner managers.
Srividya started her journey on a whim and now is a core part of the impact team. She looks forward to building with Rang De. Read more such stories of Rang De Team members.