MicroSave, a key player in the area of market-led microfinance, recently conducted a ‘CEO Workshop’ on the theme of "Responding to Competitive Microfinance Markets".

On the 8th and 9th of February 2010, Access Microfinance Alliance (AmFA), one of the largest small MFI networks in India, organized ‘ACCESS INVEST’, an investor readiness workshop for its members.

It took us a few hours of twists and turns on our way to the Jaikot branch of Sahastradhara KGFS, where I had planned to spend two days. Jaikot is a small village of approximately 150 households.

India has a concentrated banking system, which means that if five individuals decide that this needs to be done, it will be done.

The success of an organization greatly depends on its Human Resource (HR), where HR plays a vital role in maintaining and enhancing its human capital.

While endeavouring to deepen financial access in India, the enormity of the problem, that is, the vast number of financially excluded people to be reached, has been emphasised time and again.

Professor Ajay Shah of National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) visited IFMR recently, where he spoke about ‘Financial Distribution with Consumer Protection and Scalability’ at IFMR Business School and also visited Pudhuaaru KGFS, Thanjavur.

On January 29, 2010, IFMR hosted a seminar by renowned social worker and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, Padmashri Deep Joshi.

Last week a group of microfinance practitioners and investors gathered in New York City at the 2nd Microfinance Summit to discuss recent developments within the microfinance industry, as well as opportunities in providing healthcare, clean water, and renewable energy to low-income populations.

Recently, a profiling exercise was carried out at the Sanjay Nagar Branch of Pudhuaaru KGFS to understand and estimate the size of the economic and financial system of the branch service area.