Founder
Founder
Munuswamy Anandan
Aptus Housing Finance
“A house is more than just a shelter. Stable, affordable housing is critical for breaking the cycle of poverty. We make it possible for all citizens to construct their dream home, no matter what their income level.“
- Partnered in: 2014
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Focus areas:
- Home
About Munuswamy
Munuswamy Anandan was born to an agrarian family in Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, on Republic Day in 1950. Schooling was initially a challenge: class was in Tamil, while Munuswamy spoke Telugu. His first full-time job was as a management trainee at Murugappa Group where he worked for the next 30 years, rising to executive director and managing director roles, and overseeing the growth of financial and investment services.
After retiring at 60, Munuswamy wanted to try something entrepreneurial. From his expertise in financial markets, he knew that banks were solely focused on salaried workers.
Small traders, vendors, cleaners and the self-employed had regular income and were credit-worthy, but lacked the bank statements and returns to prove it. This was an unexplored market, and Munuswamy had a way to meet its needs. In 2009 he started Aptus, focusing on low-income and affordable housing markets. For the first three years, he personally approved every single loan, establishing a firm in-house credit culture. Since then, Aptus has helped thousands of Indians in under-served, rural and semi-urban environments build their dream homes.
