Despite efforts from all quarters, 2 billion people globally are still excluded from formal sources of financial services. Digital financial inclusion has emerged as the new wave in the hope that it will reach the last mile consumer in the most … Read More
Assisted Models of Digital Finance – A Stepping Stone?
This is the second article in a series on the progress of digital financial services in Bangladesh. It draws on discussions held at a recent seminar on the subject, organized by BRAC’s Social Innovation Lab in Dhaka, in collaboration with a2i, and USAID’s mSTAR project … Read More
Revitalizing the Self-Help Group Movement in India
Growth of the self-help group movement in India has slowed in the past five years. How can challenges be overcome to improve and revitalize these programs? In this article, Misha Sharma and Shreya Chatterjee from our research team highlight findings from … Read More
Preliminary Findings from the KGFS Impact Evaluation Study
This article shares preliminary findings from an ongoing study by IFMR LEAD, Evidence for Policy Design at the Harvard Kennedy School and Duke University, on access to finance in rural Tamil Nadu. Happy Birthday Pudhuaaru KGFS, and if we may … Read More
Digital Finance in Bangladesh: Empowering or Excluding Women?
This article is part of a series of Blogposts on the progress of digital financial services in Bangladesh. It draws on discussions held at a seminar on the subject in Dhaka in April 2016. The seminar was organized by BRAC Social Innovation Lab, … Read More
Open Letter to Traffic Planners
Dear Traffic Police and transport planners, I am a Chennai resident for the past year and a half. In this period, I have taken up several modes of transport in the city and tried various combinations of private, and … Read More
Using ICT to Help MSME’s Prosper – A Qualitative Insight of Mobile-based Financial Training in Bangalore
Can an ICT-based training program help improve financial outcomes for women entrepreneurs? In this article, Kanika Joshi gives us an insight into the life of Shakuntala – a woman entrepreneur and participant in our ongoing evaluation of a mobile-based business … Read More
FinTech Diffusion in India: Boon or Bane?
In the present era of digital revolution, technology has been leaving its indelible mark in several areas, including finance. Financial Technology or ‘FinTech’ refers to the provision of financial services on digital platforms. A number of start-ups have emerged in … Read More
A Conversation on Development with Kaushik Basu – Part 2
Parikshit Ghosh (Associate Professor of Economics, Delhi School of Economics) speaks with Kaushik Basu (Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, World Bank and former Chief Economic Adviser, Government of India) on issues ranging from the use of economic knowledge in … Read More
A Conversation on Development with Kaushik Basu- Part 1
Parikshit Ghosh (Associate Professor of Economics, Delhi School of Economics) speaks with Kaushik Basu (Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, World Bank and former Chief Economic Adviser, Government of India) on issues ranging from the change in World Bank’s mission … Read More