Malegam Committee Report on microfinance released
The Reserve Bank of India has released on its website the Report of the Sub-Committee of the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India to Study Issues and Concerns in the MFI Sector. The Sub-Committee has recommended creation of a separate category of NBFCs operating in the microfinance sector to be designated as NBFC-MFIs. To qualify […]
Investing in financial inclusion
An investment banker has to develop sector-specific guidelines and methodologies to help him deal with small and disaggregated clients, and scale up low-ticket transactions.
India needs a better debt market
A well-functioning capital market is an important prerequisite not only for financial inclusion, but also for economic development and growth.
Voice-based authentication for financial inclusion
Suyash Rai of IFMR Finance Foundation interviews Umesh Sachdev, CEO, Uniphore Software Systems about the company and its role in providing voice as a medium of authentication when it comes to enabling financial inclusion.
Missing links in financial inclusion
Infrastructure facilities such as clearing houses, depositories, stock exchanges, and commodity exchanges are the backbone of any financial system.
Systems Design Choices for Financial Inclusion
The AP microfinance crisis has raised significant questions on the design of the financial system that best ensures inclusion. The crisis has revealed deep discomfort with the regulation of Non-Deposit taking Institutions (NDI). Some observers have equated NDIs to moneylenders.
Universalizing Complete Access to Finance: Key Conceptual Issues
In this paper, we present two stylized models of the financial system. We make the case that in order to realize the potential of a well-functioning complete financial market, financial system designers and financial service providers will need to think about ways to deliver financial propositions that are customized to individual households by responding to their unique circumstances.
Government Policies and Financial Inclusion
Markets typically exist within the boundaries set by the state. The financial markets are no exception to this. Mobilisation and allocation of capital – the key roles of the financial system – are done within the framework defined by the government.
Ground zero observations in Andhra Pradesh
What does it mean to be a farmer in Kurnool (a district in Andhra Pradesh)? One part of the district grows commercial crops such as sunflower and tobacco while another supports nothing but paddy (the Telugu-Ganga Canal influences the soil in way that only paddy can be grown here).
Barriers in delivering finance
Though India has deep financial infrastructure comprising a large number of bank and post-office branches; agricultural cooperative societies; and, now, micro finance institutions; there still remain gaps that have prevented us from leveraging the full potential of this financial infrastructure.
