Image by: rupixen from Pixabay ‘Yes, the lockdown is over. We have started operations now. But it’s like walking on one leg,’ says the owner of a small textile unit in Coimbatore. He explained how many of these units are running at only half or one-third of the capacity. It’s true across the country. According to a… Continue reading As more MSMEs open up, liquidity problems remain
In this blog, we discuss the findings of a survey conducted with members of mutual and cooperative insurers in the three Indian states — Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (states with the highest density of mutual and cooperative insurers). This blog compares typical characteristics of mutual and cooperative insurers versus actual on-ground observable evidence,… Continue reading Comparing Reality vs. Theory: Indian Mutual & Cooperative Insurers
I wind my way deep into the streets — into lanes and by-lanes and find myself at the house of Bhargavi. The house is really two rooms, one of which is the kitchen. Bhargavi later tells me it has been partitioned off from the ancestral property of her husband’s family. I guess these rooms… Continue reading People of Bharat: Bhargavi, Bengaluru
Photo by CRSPhoto on Shutterstock Aashish was on his two-wheeler, riding on a dusty road in some small town in the central state of India. He had yesterday’s matchmaking meeting for his marriage running in his mind. One old man from the prospective bride’s side asked him, ‘The post of CEO of a Farmer… Continue reading Ease of doing business: Still some miles to go for an FPO
Image by Imam Fathoni on iStock Today as I sit down to write this blog, I suddenly remember a conversation that I had this afternoon with a seasoned banker and investor from Singapore — Asia’s financial capital. It revolved around MSMEs and how Singapore is striving to achieve a balanced approach to fund them. I was… Continue reading MSMEs – “Atma-Nirbhar”: Resilience through self-sustenance
In our previous blogs we had discussed how the nature of jobs is changing to Gigs and the problems India will face in the near future, if data ownership isn’t considered in designing the future platforms that takes into account all aspects of a gig worker’s well being. In our next blog, we delved… Continue reading Looking beyond the Gig Economy
Image by shaunl on iStock COVID-19 has hit all the sectors of the rural economy. A recent analysis by Credit Suisse reveals that rural incomes were partly boosted through government fiscal support by their COVID response schemes. However, there has been a larger off-set of cash inflows resulting from a sharp drop in agricultural credit, lower remittances… Continue reading Multi-stakeholder perspective for agricultural insurance in India
The recent Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult to meet with people. Therefore, I call up Kavita before I go to visit her. ‘Aaj muskil hai — daakter ke paas jaana hai’ (Today appears to be difficult — I will be out visiting the doctor), she says over the phone. She tells me to… Continue reading People of Bharat: Kavita, Allahabad
Image by Pexels from Pixabay Earlier this year, towards the end of January, the predominant mood in Chennai Trade Center complex was one of optimism. The 35th edition of India International Leather Fair was being held in the sprawling complex. The leather fair is not only an annual ritual for many business owners, it also highlights the… Continue reading Digital customer engagement for leather businesses
Photo by Uplift Mutuals In this blog, we discuss emerging insights from our current study on mutuals in India and try to answer frequently- asked questions on mutuals. Which are these organisations running mutual insurance? Till now, we have identified 21 mutual insurers in India, who meet our definition of a mutual… Continue reading Insuring Bharat: Q & A on Indian Mutuals
Growing in the village of Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh, is wild Kiwi — a high value food product with an increasing demand. The State Horticulture Department introduced a domestic variety of the fruit 20 years ago, and it quickly gained popularity in the region. Tage Rita Takhe, a Ziro local, established her very own… Continue reading The Market Access Conundrum
I take the stairs to the third floor to avoid using the lift. As the cases of COVID-19 rise in Bengaluru, one can’t be too careful. This is the building where Sumant works as a security guard and I arrive to find him seated just within the glass doors of the company’s office. He… Continue reading People of Bharat: Sumant, Bengaluru