&lt;p&gt;Security personnel stand guard in front of SKS Microfinance&amp;#39;s head office in of Hyderabad&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lender SKS Microfinance, whose shares have taken a massive beating amid ballooning provisions, expects near-term pain and predicts consolidation in the embattled sector, the firm&amp;#39;s top executives said on Tuesday.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&quot;Probably there would be near-term pain for a quarter or two,&quot; SKS chief financial officer Dilli Raj told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;India&amp;#39;s once-thriving microfinance sector has been reeling since Andhra Pradesh, that was its largest market, clamped down on business practices such as high interest rates and aggressive loan recovery practices last October.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Loans as low as Rs 2,000 at interest rates that have topped 30% are used by India&amp;#39;s poor for ventures such as buying livestock or opening a tea stall.&lt;/p&gt;