Aerem Pushes New Financing Models to Bridge MSME Solar Credit Gap at Green Finance Week 2026

Aerem Solutions, a full-stack solar platform focussed on distributed energy, outlined an ambitious strategy to unlock financing for MSMEs at Green Finance Week India 2026, highlighting persistent structural barriers in India’s clean energy transition.

Speaking on behalf of its NBFC arm NetZero Finance, Chief Operating Officer Anupam Agrawal emphasised that despite strong momentum in renewable energy, nearly 90 percent of MSMEs remain unable to access solar financing. He attributed this to a 'trust deficit' and conventional lending practices that rely heavily on collateral, limiting credit access for small businesses.

Agrawal noted that while capital availability is not a constraint, the financing approach needs a structural shift. Aerem is advocating lifecycle-based financing models, where risks are mitigated through technical intervention, from shading analysis to real-time performance monitoring, before project commissioning. The company is also promoting generation-linked repayment structures and blended finance mechanisms to improve bankability in underserved segments, particularly in rural and small-scale solar markets.

Aerem further highlighted the uneven distribution of green capital across India, with only a few states attracting the majority of funding. It called for greater participation from specialised financial institutions to bridge regional disparities and scale decentralized solar adoption.

The event saw participation from leading financial institutions and industry stakeholders, including National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), British International Investment, Asian Development Bank, and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund. Major financial players such as HSBC India, HDFC Bank, State Bank of India, Tata Capital, and Standard Chartered Bank also contributed to discussions. Advisory firms like Deloitte, KPMG India, and ICRA, along with industry bodies such as India Energy Storage Alliance, and energy companies including Mahindra Susten, Fourth Partner Energy, and Tata Power were also present.

Headquartered in Mumbai, Aerem operates a vertically integrated model combining digital platform services, solar-focussed lending, and a B2B equipment marketplace. Through its ecosystem, the company has built a network of over 5,000 EPC partners across more than 150 cities, enabled more than 1.5 GW of solar capacity, and financed over 2,000 projects. These deployments have collectively generated over 15 billion units of clean energy and helped avoid more than 35 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.