Image by Oleh_Slobodeniuk on iStock In the previous blog of this series, we discussed the potential use case for introducing meso-level insurance in agriculture with Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as risk aggregators and policy holders. Through insights from our ongoing research, we identify that there are several supply and demand-side difficulties in creating a vibrant and… Continue reading Creating Meso Insurance Solutions: Issues and Challenges
Image by Christopher Burns on Unsplash Here’s a story set in the early 2000s, shared by a retired senior manager of a small business in Coimbatore. The company he worked for bagged its first export order from a manufacturer in South East Asia. Towards the end of the first year, a team from… Continue reading Macro Perspectives V/s Micro Experiences
I am taking a walk outside the peripheral walls of Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow city when I see Pathik. The sky is overcast with rain clouds and there is a gentle breeze. ‘Chote-bade sab le jaate hain. Yeh gudda kisse pasand nahi aayega?’ (Kids and adults both buy these. Who does not like… Continue reading People of Bharat: Pathik, Lucknow
Image by Kaarigar Clinic The handicrafts sector is the second largest employment generator in India, providing employment to more than 7.3 million people. According to the national census of handicrafts, the Indian handicrafts industry is a billion dollar industry (worldwide) and contributes to 2% of the global market. According to the UN, over the… Continue reading A Digital Dukan for Kaarigars
Bhadra, 28, meets me at the entrance of the highway hotel where he works. He is tall, has a wheatish complexion and a pleasant demeanour. ‘Please accompany me to the backside’ he says and I follow him to what appear to be staff living quarters. We sit down in the balcony — I prefer… Continue reading People of Bharat: Bhadra, Ajmer
Image by Amitali on Shutterstock RBI recently came out with revised guidelines to elaborate Priority Sector Lending (PSL). It is an attempt to align PSL better with emerging national priorities and bring ‘sharper focus on inclusive development’. Lending to the agricultural sector (traditional, infrastructure and ancillary services) has been top priority for the past few years.… Continue reading FPOs and Bharat’s Funding Ecosystem
The recent pandemic as some say has created a level playing field in most of our lives. Entrepreneurs were (and are) staring at a never-imagined black swan. Brick and mortar business models suffered; while some tech enabled products and SaaS faced a good problem at a very bad time. Lack of funds hit both… Continue reading Impact is Real: Trends, Dynamics & Opportunities in the COVID era
November was marked by the world waiting to see the results of American elections. For us, it was a month of optimising a different kind of polling. Our surveys underwent three iterations over the course of the month and are now finalised for distribution to over 4000 individuals in the coming months. The key… Continue reading Catalysts to Accelerate Financial Inclusion
Image by By Shyamalamuralinath on Shutterstock In the last two blogs of this series, we articulated the point of view of sector experts and insurance providers about introducing meso-level insurance for agriculture in India. As we move forward towards building the case for meso-level insurance, in this blog we will discuss the perspectives of one of the potential… Continue reading Building a case for meso-level insurance: FPOs as Beneficiaries
I arrive at Pinky’s house in Aurangabad, a small town in Bihar. Pinky’s husband welcomes me at the door and tells me Pinky is doing pooja. I wait and in a few minutes Pinky emerges from an interior room. Pinky is 35, well-groomed and talks animatedly to me about herself. Pinky was born… Continue reading People of Bharat: Pinky, Aurangabad (Bihar)
Photo by Madhukar Kumar on Unsplash In March this year, when the government imposed lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic, the primary concern among most small business owners in Sivakasi, a fireworks cluster in Tamil Nadu — was their ability to supply, and not demand. For many, the equation was simple. The less number of days… Continue reading Why Sivakasi is preparing for a dull 2021
Image by Uplift Mutuals The recent recommendations by the IRDAI committee to allow standalone or exclusive Micro Insurance Companies (SAMI) has caused quite a stir and excitement in the financial inclusion space. In this blog, we de-code what it means for the microinsurance sector in general and mutuals and cooperatives in particular. What’s Great?… Continue reading Unbundling the Standalone Micro Insurance Company Recommendations