Canara Bank announced on Thursday that it has received the Government of India’s  first Award under “National Awards for Excellence in Lending to Micro and Small Enterprises for the year 2006-07.” 
The award instituted by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is in recognition of bank’s performance in lending to micro and small enterprises sector during the year 2006-07, said the bank. The award was presented by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Thursday to  Canara Bank CMD M B N Rao. Canara Bank has increased its lending to micro and small enterprises by Rs 3,261 crores during the year, recording an impressive growth of 49.48 per cent over the level of March 2006. The outstanding credit of Canara Bank to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector (MSME) crossed Rs15,000 crores in June 2007.
Canara Bank has initiated various measures to implement the SME policy and for promotion of MSME sector.