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December 7, 2012
Uganda: Low cost houses solution for better living conditions
This post examines the current developmental opportunities in Uganda for low cost housing, providing a case for low cost housing being the best way to provide sustainable living conditions to Uganda’s underserved. Read more here.
December 7, 2012
iShack, improving lives in South African urban informal settlements
Shacks, made of scraps and corrugated metal are the homes to a majority of the urban population in South Africa. Doing away with these would mean displacing people without nearly adequate provisions to rehabilitate them. The next best option is to improve the conditions within the shacks themselves, which is […]
December 7, 2012
Is housing microfinance appropriate for the bottom of the pyramid?
This post examines whether housing microfinance is an effective and scalable solution to the problem of housing deficit for the low and middle income earners in the developing world. Read more here.
December 7, 2012
India: MFIs should raise funds from the capital markets
According a senior finance ministry official, MFIs should consider the option of raising funds from capital markets while leveraging the government schemes for investment purposes. This is an innovative and new way for microfinance institutions as a number of them are struggling with accessing funds in the country presently. Read […]
December 7, 2012
India: Microfinance Bill to be rolled out soon
The Finance Minister of India, P. Chidamabaram has forecasted the roll out of a Microfinance Bill for India, to help the microfinance sector in the country which is beset by lack of interest rate rationalization, a usually non-conservative recovery procedure, and lack of access to bank funds. The Minister also […]
December 7, 2012
India: MFIs should be allowed to become business correspondents, says MFIN
MFIN, or the Microfinance Institutions Network of India, a self-regulatory body is of the opinion that the Central Bank of India, the RBI should allow NBFC-MFIs to act as business correspondents for banks and help to open bank accounts on their behalf. Read more here.
December 7, 2012
Belgian company for developing countries invests in Bolivia
BIO, or Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries, a state-owned development finance institution has recently made an investment of US$1.5 million in Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Regional (CIDRE), which is a Bolivian non-profit. This fund will go towards supporting MSMEs and unbanked rural entrepreneurs. Read more here.
December 7, 2012
India: Basix to add three more microfinance schemes
Bharatiya Samrudhi Finance (BSFL), also known as Basix, the indian company specializing in providing microfinance services as well as livelihood support is not set to introduce three new microinsurance products in its portfolio. The company is planning to set up their own internet kiosks to facilitate transactions for customers. Read […]
December 7, 2012
Turkey: Grameen-Jameel and AXA ink a deal
AXA Mediterranean and Latin America region and Grameen-Jameel Microfinance have signed a deal to provide microinsurance products to the underserved in the Mena region and Turkey. 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..