Recent Developments,
Key Innovations, and
Insightful Reports
Your One Stop Platform for Regular Sector Updates
Sector news
View By Category
Categories
- See all
- Agriculture
- Clean Cookstoves
- Clean Energy
- Climate Action
- Digital Technology
- Education
- Financial Services
- General
- Healthcare
- Hygiene
- Impact Investment
- Inclusive Value Chains
- Livelihoods
- Livestock
- Lower Income Consumers
- Marketing, Distribution and Sales for BoP
- Nutrition
- Sanitation
- Water
- Women Empowerment
August 8, 2012
Renewable Energy – Facts and figures
This post has a comprehensive overview of the renewable energy sources globally over the past decade or so. Most of the information is relayed through communicative graphs. Read more here.
August 8, 2012
US concerned over Bangladesh intrusion in Grameen
The United States showed deep concern Sunday about the Bangladeshi government’s expanding role in Grameen Bank, urging officials to ensure the pioneering microfinance institution’s independence. Read more here.
August 8, 2012
Thailand to consider mobile banking for government microfinance
Thailand’s Ministry of Finance (MOF) is considering mobile banking system as a potential option to solve the informal debt problem. The MOF has studied successful solutions from many countries to solve this problem, and currently is examining the M-PESA project in Kenya as a potential model solution. Read more here.
August 8, 2012
India’s RBI eases regulations for NBFC MFI lenders
India’s central bank eased norms for non-bank microfinance companies, removing a cap on lending rates and relaxing risk-provision standards, after some lenders found it difficult to meet existing regulations. However, non-bank microlenders must keep their average loan rates within a year at a fixed margin over average borrowing costs, as […]
August 8, 2012
Sub-Saharan Africa gets US$7.6 million to strengthen microfinance sector
The MasterCard Foundation and the SEEP Network have launched a new US$7.6 million, four-year partnership to strengthen and develop the capacity of microfinance industry associations in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more here.
August 8, 2012
SKS shares surge on RBI relaxation of provision norms
Shares of SKS Microfinance Ltd, India’s lone listed micro lender, rose as much as 16 per cent in intra-day trading on Monday, which company officials attributed to positive investor sentiment generated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decision to ease rules governing microfinance institutions (MFIs). Read more here.
August 8, 2012
India: Andhra Pradesh drags down MFIs
After reports of borrowers committing suicide in the state, the Andhra Pradesh government had come out with the ‘AP Microfinance Ordinance’ in October 2010, which was subsequently legislated into an Act, which crippled micro-finance institutions (MFIs) including leading player SKS. In the wake of the new regulations, repayment of MFI […]
August 8, 2012
Yemen: Microfinance stories lost in Abyan
More than 50 percent of Abyan’s microfinance program clients were exposed to inconsistent material losses due to the military confrontations between the Yemeni army and Ansar Al-Sharia during the past few months. A recent field study prepared by the Microfinance Network in Yemen and conducted by Ghamdan Awnfound that 45 […]
August 8, 2012
From pilot to scale – Ten lessons for multiplying the impact of Graduation Model
The graduation model is based on assisting the poorest of the poor with a fixed regular assistance and training that will, over a period of time help them to raise themselves out of poverty. This post provides ten lessons that help expand the impact of the graduation model. Read it […]
Get The Latest From The Social Sector In Your Inbox
Subscribe to our newsletter
View Our Publications
Eight Lessons Learned: Inputs for policy considerations in developing resilience against climate risks for small scale farmers in semi-arid regions, full report
Download Full Report
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..