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March 4, 2013
Microfinance in Africa, through ‘bit’ loans
In Africa, mobile money is fast gaining efficiency, led by Kenya’s Musoni, which is trying to bypass all use of brick and mortar offices, by digitizing all aspects of operations. Required for such radical change that encourages efficiency and reliability, requires technology and necessary support. Read more here.
March 4, 2013
Kenya: Mobile money moved US$16 billion in 2012
Data aggregated by the Central Bank of Kenya shows that the total amount transacted by users of mobile money in Kenya increased by 50 per cent, to hit US$16 billion, or KES1.4 trillion. At the same time, the customer base of mobile money operators like M-pesa, Airtel Money, Orange Money […]
March 4, 2013
Unlocking the Potential: Women and Mobile Financial Services in Emerging Markets
This is a new report by GSMA’s mWomen Programme, and Visa, focusing on women in Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania. This study seeks to understand how microfinance or mobile money helps with the complex financial status of women at the base of the pyramid. It was found […]
March 4, 2013
Nokia to intensify low cost smartphone competition
Nokia is all set to rival its competitors by introducing a new range of low cost Lumia phones, Nokia’s range of smartphones. These phones will compete with the likes of Huawei and ZTE. Read more here.
March 4, 2013
Firefox OS for low cost smartphones, run with Telefonica, T-Mobile and Telenor in developing countries
Mozilla, famous for its web browser, Firefox has launched a new smartphone operating system. The company has announced that as many as 18 carriers have committed to its Open Web HTML5 device push. A number of telephone carriers have integrated this OS in their low cost smart phones – Telefonica […]
March 4, 2013
Invasion of cheap tablets
This post talks about the potentially massive market of tablets, which will only be realised in the near future. The migration from laptops to tablets has been slow, yet steady, the number of low cost tablets in the markets, especially those in China helping to mature the market. This bodes […]
March 4, 2013
India: Microinsurance norms to be out soon
Microinsurance regulations for India are soon set to be launched. These regulations provide a framework within which insurers will be able to offer products to low income consumers in rural and urban areas. Read more here.
March 4, 2013
India: RBI rejects plea to remove 26 per cent lending cap on interest rates
The Central Bank in India – the Reserve Bank of India has refused to remove a 26 per cent cap on interest rates for lending from microfinance institutions. According to the deputy governor KC Chakravarty, MFIs will stop getting bank loans with priority sector tag if this cap is removed. […]
March 4, 2013
Nepal: Governor asks microfinance firms to revise rates
Responding to the crisis of high interest rates, the Central Bank governor in Nepal has called upon microfinance institutions to reduce interest rates. He compared the behaviour of the microfinance institutions to that of moneylenders. Read more here.
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06 Key Lessons for informing policy decisions: Mainstreaming tribal-specific climate adaptive capacities in vulnerable coastal regions within National Action Plan on Climate Change
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Four Key Lessons for Policy Consideration: Scaling Climate Adaptive Capacities among Small and Marginal Farming Communities in the Sundarbans
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Five Key Lessons for Policy Consideration: Scaling Climate Action Programs for Landless Rural Communities in Semi-Arid Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin in South Asia
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View Blog Posts
GST 2.0 and Tax Cuts: Can They Make Growth Fairer and Greener?
India's latest GST reform, being termed as GST 2.0, is more than just slashing rates. By simplifying the tax structure, cutting levies on essentials, and supporting renewable infrastructure, it's open..
Reimagining Sports in CSR: From Tokenism to a Vehicle for Multiplying Impact
In 2023–24, Indian companies spent about ₹1,396 crore of their CSR budgets on sports — just 4% of the total ₹34,909 crore Indian corporates spent on CSR that year. Most of the rest went to edu..
Interactive SHG Map of India: 7.5 million Women Self Help Groups are spread across 27 States and 6 UTs in India
Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), India has 7.5 million Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) spread across 27 states and 6 Union Territories. Each of these small, self-governed, and peer-co..