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January 28, 2013
Microfinance in India – will mobile micropayments work?
Microfinance exists to cushion poorer families against the risks of daily uneven cashflows. The challenge of minimising the cost of providing this cushion, is then the core problem in delivering services at a cheaper rate. This post evaluates whether India is in a position to leverage technology in cutting costs […]
January 28, 2013
Microfinance and its Discontents – A mini review
This is yet another book that counters the pro-microfinance campaign, that microfinance only acts as a silver bullet that gets rid of poverty. Read more here.
January 28, 2013
Microfinance in India: ‘Road to Redemption’
Despite the public failure of SKS Microfinance in Andhra Pradesh in 2010, the microfinance industry is starting to gain the confidence of investors and banks, according to this Economist post. The industry is starting to revive, with the central role played by regulators this time. Microlenders are attracting capital, and […]
January 28, 2013
Philippines: Microfinance Development Programme
This report by the ADB is an evaluation of the Microfinance Development Programme for the Philippines that it approved in 2005. This programme, concluded as of 2007 is rated successful. Read the details here, and read the evaluation report here.
January 28, 2013
India: NIC to launch INR 50 billion VC fund for innovation
According to Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister on public information infrastructure and innovation, the National Innovation Council will be launching a new venture capital fund to the tune of INR 50 billion, by this March. This fund’s seed capital consists of government backed finances, but it will be […]
January 28, 2013
India: Lok Capital buys minority stake in social enterprise Drishti
Lok Capital, one of the known impact investment funds in India, and one which has the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, has recently bought a minority stake in Drishti. Drishti is a social enterprise which excels in providing low cost quality eye care to the underserved and poor population of […]
January 28, 2013
How to trade at a social investment network
With the rising number of social enterprises that bring about meaningful environmental and social change across the world, the number of social investment networks that offer trading options for the stocks of these enterprises is rising too. This post offers insight into how to leverage this […]
January 28, 2013
2013 will offer impact investors new opportunities
This post, according to Luther M Ragin Jr, the CEO of GIIN, 2013 will offer impact investors new and more diversified opportunities. This is because of the opportunities that exist in this investment class for assets, getting past financial hurdles and being able to invest in diverse regions of the […]
January 28, 2013
New brand philanthropy – nonprofits investing in for-profits
This article enlists some of the key nonprofits institutions like WK Kellogg, Gray Ghost Ventures, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley which took the route of investing in for-profits which held the ability to being about social good through their general existence and operation. 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..