Great expectations for the financial inclusion agenda
Even in an environment of great expectations, new RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan’s opening statement was remarkable for its ambition and clarity of purpose
The crucial link between financial access and decision making of the poor
A new paper by Anandi Mani et al in the August issue of Science has a stunning finding – that the cognitive impact of being poor may be equivalent to as much as 13 IQ points.
Alternative Model of Rural Housing Finance – Part 1
Home ownership is an important aspiration for all of us. A house is more than just a roof over one’s head.
Reserve Bank of India revisits ‘Small and Local’
The Reserve Bank of India has published on its website, a discussion paper on Banking Structure in India – The Way Forward which covers the following aspects:
Financial inclusion through the lens of CRISIL Inclusix
Financial inclusion is a key enabler of economic and social development. The effectiveness of the financial inclusion agenda in India can be significantly enhanced if there are objective ways to measure it.
Housing Rental Markets for the Poor (and not-so-poor)
I read an excellent post by Ajay Shah recently that questioned the policy wisdom of emphasising house ownership over rental housing.
How much do rural bank branches cost the financial sector?
For every loan of Rs, 10,000 made through a Public Sector Bank rural branch, it costs them about Rs. 4150. The same number for a Private Sector Bank rural branch is about Rs. 3210. Little wonder then that rural branch expansion meets with so much resistance.
Financial Engineering for Low-Income Households – Book Launched
The book is an edited compilation of articles that focus on using financial engineering a multidisciplinary field that uses technical methods from the fields of finance, mathematics and
Why the land and gold obsession of rural Indians may be entirely rational
What does the asset allocation look like for people living in remote rural India (villages with less than 5000 population)?
Why don’t Indian farmers grow more fruits and vegetables?
In India, rice and wheat comprise 70 percent of agricultural produce by area, but less than 25 percent by value.