This paper discusses the potential of providing housing finance to the poor through microfinance institutions (MFIs) and issues that are likely to arise in doing so. Using a demand assessment conducted at Ankuram Sangamam Porum (ASP) in Andhra Pradesh, the … Read More
Financial Well-being and Social Protection
Satin Creditcare Network Limited: Unique In its Field
Navneet Daga
This case study aims to identify innovative practices among MFIs operating in the urban space, particularly strategies for broad basing their clients, financial services offered, and community involvement. With the above goals in mind, this study details the strategies Satin … Read More
Reaching the Other 100 Million Poor in India: Case Studies in Urban Microfinance
IFMR LEAD
This study combines several independent CMF studies with six prominent microfinance institutions that operate in urban areas. These case studies identify innovative practices among these institutions, including strategies used for broad basing their clients, examining the array of financial services … Read More
Innovative Ways to Improve the Savings Habit of Women
Deepti Kc
This brief captures lessons from a study that seeks to improve women’s awareness about savings products.
Filling the Gap: Innovative and Interactive Ways to Increase the Savings of Rural Women in India
Deepti KC, Mudita Tiwari, Vanya Mehta, Spandana Bhattacharya
This report presents findings from a study conducted as an experiment in Bihar, an eastern state of India, with 203 women, many of whom were a part of Self Help Groups (SHGs). The authors tested context-specific Financial Education (FE) to … Read More
Financial Literacy Education for Migrant Workers
Mudita Tiwar, Deepti Kc
This handbook contains context-specific financial literacy modules that aim to address the knowledge gaps about financial products and services among migrant workers.
Financial Literacy for Women Entrepreneurs
Mudita Tiwar, Deepti KC
The research was aimed at understanding the social, cultural and economic factors influencing modes of payments (cash versus electronic) used by small scale entrepreneurs. The findings indicate a strong preference for cash, which is a culturally accepted payment mode for … Read More
The Efficacy and Financial Sustainability of Mobile Phone-based Agricultural Extension
Shawn Cole, Nilesh Fernando, Tarun Pokiya, Hee Kwon Seo, Niriksha Shetty
This policy brief describes lessons from a large-scale field experiment that has delivered mobile-phone-based agricultural information to cotton farmers in western India.
Repayment Flexibility in Microfinance Contracts: Theory and Experimental Evidence on Take-up and Selection
Giorgia Barboni
This paper studies the impact of introducing repayment flexibility in microfinance contracts. The author builds an adverse selection model that predicts the existence of a separating equilibrium where lenders are able to achieve higher profits by simultaneously offering a rigid … Read More
A Blueprint for the Delivery of Comprehensive Financial Services to the Poor in India
Bindu Ananth, Bastavee Barooah, Rupalee Ruchismita, Aparna Bhatnagar
This paper attempts to articulate a new vision for the scaled delivery of comprehensive financial services to the rural and urban poor of India. The strategies suggested in the document draw heavily on the lessons from previous experiences in this … Read More