Financial Well-being and Social Protection

A Scoping Study of Financial Literacy Training Programmes in India

Deeptha Umapathy, Parul Agarwal, Santadarshan Sadhu

This study aimed at understanding the scope of different financial literacy training programmes that are being implemented across India, from both an implementer’s and beneficiaries’ perspective. To gather data for the study, discussions were held with all the stakeholders (module developing … Read More

Bringing the Bank to the Doorstep: Does Financial Education Influence Savings Behavior Among the Poor? Evidence from a Randomized Financial Literacy Program in India

Leopold Sarr, Santadarshan Sadhu, Nathan Fiala

This paper explores the uptake of branchless banking in one of the largest BC programs in the world, Financial Inclusion Network and Operations (FINO), which currently has over 48 million activated savings accounts across India. Despite being open, many savings … Read More

The Urban Poor and their Money: A Study of Cycle Rickshaw Pullers in Delhi

Mani Arul Nandhi

The study explored the financial behavior of cycle rickshaw pullers in Delhi to assess their strategies and choices in saving, storing and remitting their money and the challenges and the constraints they faced in managing their money and livelihoods.

Rethinking Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Regulations for MFIs

Deepti Kc

CMF coordinated this study in collaboration with five MRAP professors. The primary focus of this study was to investigate the borrowing practices of existing microfinance clients, inclusion within a formal banking system, and spending patterns in relation to microloans. Furthermore, … Read More

Microfinance Researchers Alliance Program (MRAP) – Programme Report

Deepti Kc

The MRAP Report details the capacity building program of CMF conducted over the last three years. This document summarizes the activities covered under Microfinance Researchers Alliance Program (MRAP)- a research capacity development programme funded by Ford Foundation in the span … Read More

Incidence of Loan Default in Group-lending Programme

Mani Arul.Nandhi

This report explores the reasons and costs of hidden loan delinquency, despite high group repayment rates prevalent in the group lending mechanism. In a Joint Liability Group, if one of the members fails to repay a loan fully, the responsibility … Read More

Impact of EKO’s Simplibank on the Saving Behaviour and Practices of Low-income Customers: The Indian Experience

Mani Arul.Nandhi

This report presents insights from a study that aims at understanding the impact of EKO’s mobile money on the savings behavior and practices of low income users and its transformative potential on the economic lives of the users in terms … Read More

Five Years of Researching Financial Services for the Poor

IFMR LEAD

This report, a collection of key CMF studies conducted over the last five years, is meant to serve as a reference document for policymakers, practitioners, researchers and others interested in financial services for the poor. More specifically, the studies presented … Read More

Multiple Loans: How Frequently do Rural Poor Opt for Multiple Borrowing?

Deepti Kc, Sebastien Gachot

This study throws light on the patterns of multiple borrowing that was prevalent in Andhra Pradesh. Following up on the Access to Finance Study, CMF visited 428 households in two districts of Andhra Pradesh. 36% of 428 households (153 households) … Read More

Rethinking RBI Regulations for MFIs

Deepti Kc and Ashok Rao

This policy note reviews recent amendments to RBI regulations, and examines whether these regulations align with the requirements of microfinance clients. The note also puts forth recommendations for reforming guidelines regarding the eligibility of MFIs for priority sector lending.