In 2001, Chandra Shekhar Ghosh started Bandhan as an NGO, aimed at women empowerment and poverty alleviation, by helping marginalised women develop income-generating activities through microcredit. With time, the NGO grew its operations manifold and two trusts – Financial Inclusion Trust (FIT) and North East Financial Inclusion Trust (NEFIT) – were created to run development programmes for the marginalised communities, apart from Bandhan. In 2015, when Bandhan Bank was formed, FIT and NEFIT assumed the role of promoters of the Bank.
The country is going through unprecedented times and many have been affected by the pandemic and its effect. C S Ghosh, in an individual capacity, along with FIT and NEFIT has come forward to support the food requirements of the marginalised communities. For the same, the three have contributed Rs.25 crores to various state governments. Another sum of Rs.25,01,00,001 has been contributed to the PM-CARES Fund. Considering Rs.1,000 can provide food requirements for each family for 15 days, the total contribution of over Rs.50,01,00,000 would serve over 5 lakh families across the country.