Financial Well-being and Social Protection

The report presents findings from a study that attempts to answer the questions associated with the above mentioned objective by collecting primary data from SHGs and SHPIs across three states -Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

This report  highlights challenges in the design and implementation of social security schemes in India, and draws out lessons for designing a comprehensive social security framework. The report delves into issues of ownership structure, program coverage, delivery architecture and specific … Read More

In this paper, authors present findings from a study on trader agent intermediated lending (TRAIL), a new version of microfinance where local intermediaries (lenders) are appointed as agents to recommend borrowers for individual liability loans designed to allow the financing … Read More

To study the impact of the choice of injection points in the diffusion of a new product in society, this study examined the impact of a word-of-mouth diffusion model and applied it to data on social networks and participation in … Read More

The poor often behave in less capable ways, which can further perpetuate poverty. We hypothesize that poverty directly impedes cognitive function and present two studies that test this hypothesis. First, we experimentally induced thoughts about finances and found that this … Read More

Do the repayment requirements of the classic microfinance contract inhibit investment in high-return but illiquid business opportunities among the poor? Using a field experiment, the authors of this paper compare the classic contract which requires that repayment begin immediately after … Read More

The study throws light on the factors: both price and non-price related that play a role in the choice of rainfall insurance, designed to hedge a major source of agricultural production risk. With households exhibiting such a pattern, it remains … Read More

In this note, factors that inhibit the poor to save are being discussed at length with evidence from various CMF based findings as well as studies conducted in the same subject worldwide.

Chit Funds are indigenous financial institutions in India that combine credit and savings in a single scheme. In a chit fund scheme, a group of individuals come together for a predetermined time period and contribute to a common pool at … Read More

Unpredictable rainfall is an important risk for agricultural activity, and farmers in developing countries often receive incomplete insurance from informal risk-sharing networks. This paper presents findings from a study that examines the demand for, and effects of, offering formal index-based … Read More