A structured finance approach to microfinance
The structured finance approach has given MFIs access to a new class of debt investors, thereby reducing over-dependence on traditional sources of funds. This therefore enables risk transfer over a larger gamut of financial institutions and also provides access to mainstream capital market investors. The need for continuous and reliable sources of capital is critical for growth and sustenance in this sector.
Household financial choice of the hapless households of India
In February 2010, I had the opportunity to visit Pudhuaaru KGFS in Thanjavur. This is a remarkable project which helps us see the interface between households and the financial system in a wholly new light.
Response to the Draft Micro Finance Institutions (Regulations and Development) Bill 2011
The Draft Micro Finance Institutions (Regulations and Development) Bill 2011 (the Bill) seeks to cover all entities engaged in ‘microfinance activities’ under a single regulator (the Reserve Bank of India) and prescribes various rules for such institutions.
Including Everyone in the National Pension Scheme: Review of the CRIISP Report
The Committee to Review Implementation of Informal Sector Pension (CRIISP) recently released their report focusing on National Pension Scheme (NPS), its design architecture, its performance till date and recommendations for increasing outreach and awareness about the product
Dr Viral Acharya on aggregation of risks in a financial system
In a conversation with Nachiket Mor and Bindu Ananth, Dr. Viral Acharya, Professor of Finance at the New York University Stern School of Business, speaks on issues centring around aggregation of risks in a financial system, with an emphasis on those particularly relevant to the Indian financial system.
Customising financial services
Future financial services providers will be akin to general physicians, who bear great responsibility for the health of their patients. Such a prescriptive approach would minimise instances of unsuitable advice.
International remittance for rural India
Remittances are the second largest source of funding for developing countries, contributing more than capital flows and development assistance.
Functional Perspective of Financial Systems – An Introduction
In a stylised sense, there are two fundamentally different perspectives for analysis of financial systems.
Simple products not always best
A common refrain that one hears in the context of financial services for low-income households is the importance of “keeping it simple”.
Reforming the Regulatory Architecture of India’s Financial System – What do the committees have to say?
[This post is the fourth in a series on the theme “regulatory architecture of India’s financial system”. IFMR Blog will continue to feature this theme till the third week of June.]
