Surat, November 19, 2025: The South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) hosted a special awareness session on the State Bank of India's (SBI) Business Rules Engine (BRE) at the Ushakant Marfatia Hall in Sarsana. The session provided detailed information to MSMEs regarding collateral-free loans of up to Rs 5 crore and their online, swift approval process.
Rajesh Kumar, DGM of SBI and the chief guest at the event, informed entrepreneurs that the BRE software can determine loan limits within minutes by simply entering ITR and GST user IDs and passwords. This process requires no human intervention or collateral. Interested entrepreneurs can also choose their preferred branch. As per agency report, he further stated that 900 loans totaling Rs 433 crore have been sanctioned and disbursed in South Gujarat to date.
Nikhil Madrasi, President of the Chamber, emphasized that organizations failing to adapt to change risk becoming obsolete in the market. He noted that SBI has modernized its processes with this mindset, benefiting entrepreneurs rapidly. Vice President Ashok Jirawala highlighted that textile MSMEs previously faced numerous challenges in obtaining loans, but now collateral-free loans up to Rs 5 crore can be approved within an hour.
Honorary Treasurer CA Mitesh Modi revealed that during Covid-19, the Chamber had communicated the need for online loan approvals to the RBI. Subsequently, the Chamber proposed collateral-free loans of up to Rs 5 crore for MSMEs to RBI Deputy Governor Swaminathan Janakiraman, which received a positive response. SBI's BRE software is a direct outcome of that initiative.
SBI officials presented the BRE technology and its features, explaining that loan limit determination is based on AI-driven technology. Interest rates start from 8.40%, with special incentives available for women entrepreneurs. The system offers quick availability of cash credit, a dedicated website for MSMEs, and digital documentation facilities. Special cluster products for the textile sector, including loans exceeding Rs 5 crore, were also discussed, along with information on loans for captive and non-captive solar park projects.
The session included detailed discussions on BRE's technical process, risk assessment, real-time decision-making system, and on-the-spot approval model. SBI officials addressed all questions raised by entrepreneurs.
The event was attended by former Chamber President Ashish Gujarati, SBI officials Harish Jain, Vikas Kumar, Rini Singh, Desh Deepak, and a large number of entrepreneurs and professionals. The program was moderated by CA Vipul Shah, Chairman of the Chamber's Banking Committee.
