The case for a unique business identifier for Indian MSMEs
Solving the identity problem is necessary to enable a shift away from a survival mindset and towards a growth mindset
A review of BIS’ paper on The Design of Digital Financial Infrastructure: Lessons from India
This blog post reviews the BIS paper, and offers some reflections and critiques based on the experience of these infrastructures in India.
A conflict-ridden SIDBI needs the government to clarify its role
In their book, In Service of the Republic, Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah warn against distortions caused by the government and its entities being both player and umpire in various sectors .
Unlocking new capital for the social sector
Innovative and blended finance structures, such as Social Venture Funds, offer a unique opportunity for nonprofits to secure new funding.
How government backstops can best ease credit flows to MSMEs
The Indian government has set into motion the implementation of several schemes that are aimed at improving both the liability and asset sides of the balance sheets of banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), so that lending to the real economy can increase. The most recently introduced are four schemes.
A Commentary on Select Recommendations of the Report of the IRDAI Committee on Microinsurance
As per IRDAI (Micro Insurance) Regulations, 2015, the microinsurance business is exempted from customised benefit illustration6 and disclosure norms prescribed in IRDA (Linked and Non-Linked Insurance Products) Regulations. IRDAI’s latest circular on this continues to extend this exemption.
Response to the White Paper on the Strategy for National Open Digital Ecosystems released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in February 2020
In this document, we present our response to the White Paper on the Strategy for National Open Digital Ecosystems (the White Paper) released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in February 2020. We are deeply concerned that creating National Open Digital Ecosystems (NODEs) as envisioned in the White Paper could entrench existing problems with service delivery and hamper the growth of a free and fair digital economy.
Our Response to the White Paper on Strategy for National Open Digital Ecosystems
In this blog post, we present our comments to the White Paper on Strategy for National Open Digital Ecosystems in response to the call for comments by MeitY
What Do We Know About Women’s Mobile Phone Access & Use? A review of evidence
While phone access and ownership has been rising rapidly in India in recent years, women lag behind on access, usage and ownership of mobile phones across the world but especially in South Asia, including India.
Women’s Access and Use of Mobile Phones
This paper provides an analytical review of extant literature on how low-income women in India and in other countries in the Global South access and use mobile phones
