> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.fintechobserver.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Saison International Partners with ADB in Up to USD 500m Push for Asian MSME and Climate Financing - URL: https://www.fintechobserver.com/saison-international-partners-with-adb-in-up-to-usd-500m-push-for-asian-msme-and-climate-financing/ - Published: 2026-11-12T01:52:07.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-12T01:52:07.000Z - Author: Norbert Gehrke - Tags: banking, NBFC, lending, social lending, india Saison International, the Singapore-headquartered international arm of Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed Credit Saison, has executed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to expand credit access and sustainable finance across developing Asia. The alliance establishes a formal operational framework to explore arranging a prospective financing package of up to US$500 million in medium- and long-term financial assistance over a three-year period. Rather than functioning as a direct balance-sheet expansion for the Singapore holding entity, the prospective capital package will be targeted directly at the downstream operating portfolio companies of the Credit Saison Group—such as Credit Saison India—operating across ADB’s developing member countries. The prospective capital allocation aims to resolve persistent liquidity bottlenecks for underserved micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), mobilize capital for female entrepreneurs, and promote climate-resilient operational practices across emerging regional markets. ## Sign up for Japan FinTech Observer Cutting through the noise of Japanese Finance & FinTech Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. By connecting multilateral development capital to an established commercial lending network, this multi-year financing architecture provides the institutional mechanism required to operationalize high-impact ESG initiatives and targeted debt deployment across developing Asia. ## 1\. Operational Objectives: Target Segments, ESG, and Corporate Heritage In emerging Asia-Pacific markets, structural market gaps often restrict non-bank financial intermediaries (NBFIs) and local enterprises from accessing long-term commercial debt. Development financial institutions (DFIs) increasingly utilize established commercial origination platforms to bridge these liquidity deficits. The alliance between ADB and Saison International leverages this institutional synergy, combining ADB's multilateral scope with Saison International's regional distribution infrastructure. The MOU outlines three core operational pillars designed to guide joint project identification, knowledge exchange, and institutional capacity building: - **MSME Capital Access:** Expanding medium- and long-term debt liquidity for underserved micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to strengthen private sector growth and economic resilience. - **Gender-Lens Investing:** Directing dedicated capital allocations toward women-owned businesses and female entrepreneurs to dismantle systemic credit access barriers in emerging markets. - **Sustainable Finance & Governance:** Promoting climate-efficient operational standards, strengthening corporate governance, and implementing standardized climate-related financial disclosures across financial intermediaries. This strategic direction aligns ADB's development charter with Credit Saison’s corporate history. Commenting on the agreement, Saison International Chief Executive Officer Kosuke Mori highlighted the continuity between the institution's heritage and its modern ESG initiatives: > "We're proud to deepen our partnership with ADB, building on our ongoing relationship through Credit Saison India. Financial inclusion and sustainability have been part of Credit Saison's DNA throughout our 75-year history, from our long-standing commitment to advancing financial inclusion for women, having been the first player in Japan to issue credit cards to women, to our commitment to climate transparency and resilience. This partnership is a landmark step towards expanding access to finance for MSMEs, including women entrepreneurs in Asia, and an opportunity to explore extending our work with ADB into climate finance and disclosure." Mori’s perspective illustrates how Credit Saison is translating its historical consumer-finance precedent—specifically its role as the first financial institution in Japan to issue credit cards to women—into a structured, DFI-compliant sustainable finance strategy. By integrating formal climate disclosure frameworks and ESG governance into its expanding loan originations, Saison International is aligning its legacy of gender-focused financial inclusion with modern DFI standards for climate resilience and market transparency. These corporate commitments and governance standards build directly upon Saison International’s existing operational infrastructure and quantitative distribution metrics across global emerging markets. ## 2\. Financial Footprint and Portfolio Metrics The framework to explore up to $500 million in ADB-arranged funding utilizes an established regional platform. Headquartered in Singapore, Saison International operates as the international headquarters and subsidiary of Credit Saison, one of Japan’s largest non-bank financial institutions. From its Singapore hub, the company manages Credit Saison Group’s global strategy across primary markets—including India, Brazil, and Mexico—while directing strategic debt and equity investments globally. The scale of the prospective $500 million financing package is significant relative to Saison International’s baseline metrics. A $500 million capital infusion represents an expansion equivalent to over 21% of the institution's active global portfolio value of $2.3 billion. Because these prospective funds are earmarked specifically for Credit Saison Group’s downstream operating portfolio companies, the framework creates a direct path for scaling localized lending capacity in high-need jurisdictions. With a existing baseline that reaches 15 million women and directly finances over 30,000 MSMEs, the deployment of up to $500 million in medium- and long-term capital over the next three years offers a key mechanism for scaling regional financial inclusion. By expanding the balance-sheet capacity of downstream operating entities like Credit Saison India, the strategic partnership is structured to deepen credit access, support job creation, and embed institutional climate disclosures across Asia's developing economies. --- [Credit Saison's India Subsidiary Begins Raising Funds Through ECB LoansCredit Saison's Indian subsidiary has begun raising funds through External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) loans. The subsidiary has signed a contract to execute a 150 million US dollar ECB loan from Mizuho Bank, which is a capital participant in Credit Saison India. Read also: "Mizuho Bank to invest in Credit![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/46/cb/46cbd57f-e0e8-41a4-a1e2-710103a4267b/content/images/icon/Newsletter-Small-90180d97-8d8f-4895-8f30-27e03699fad7.png)Japan FinTech ObserverNorbert Gehrke![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/46/cb/46cbd57f-e0e8-41a4-a1e2-710103a4267b/content/images/thumbnail/CS-Mizuho-bc36e166-459c-4e2f-bb87-cbf4346dd926.png)](https://www.fintechobserver.com/credit-saisons-india-subsidiary-begins-raising-funds-through-ecb-loans/)