Self-help groups have emerged as one of the means of eradicating poverty and enhancing access of the poor to banking facilities. NABARD's SHG-bank linkage programme is the largest microfinance initiative in the world. Microfinance services are provided through the existing banking network and NGOs. In last 16 years, the programme witnessed tremendous growth and progress. This paper compares the regional growth of the SHG-Bank linkage programme, and reviews its impact on issues like poverty, employment and social empowerment in India. The SHG-Bank linkage programme appears to have been most successful in the southern region of India. We find that the percentage of poor, in a region, declines with the increase in SHG concentration. In fact, the net household income increased significantly in the post-SHG era.