The man from Share, the company that made her first loan, did not ask about her income, Ms. Shivamma said.

The loan is the first under a new policy that extends average repayment maturities to 18 years from a previous 10 years and three months to 14 years and three months, depending on per capita income.

Another woman, Lata reported that an initial loan from her self-help group had helped raise her income.