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
Photo by PrathanChorruangsak on iStock When we decided to work on understanding the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) in bringing about financial inclusion of the marginalised communities, we had made a very structured and detailed timeline for all the activities pretty much in line with a professional project management case. However, an unexpected delay stormed… Continue reading FPO Research: A Few Perspectives
By ARAVIND TEKI on Shutterstock AC Equipment is a Pune-based manufacturing enterprise involved in supplying automotive parts to one of the bigger firms, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) based in the city. It has been in existence for over 2 years with an annual turnover of more than INR 150 lakhs. It has in-hand orders but is… Continue reading Credit and Tabula Rasa MSMEs
It has been a year of transitions for workforces around the world. We have firstly gone remote, essentials only and socially distant. As the nature of work evolves, so do the skills required to adapt and survive in the new ecosystem.These transitions are not the result of Covid-19 alone. They have been in the… Continue reading Data Ownership & Gig Economy Knowledge Workers’ Perspectives
Photo by Matyas Rehak on Shutterstock Insurance has an important role to play in agricultural risk management borne out of the ever-increasing instances of extreme weather events globally. However, its contribution to risk reduction and resilience depends upon the quality of the insurance tool; and whether it has been designed to respond efficiently to the needs… Continue reading Meso-level Index Insurance in Practice
‘Did you have lunch?’ I ask Narayan. ‘No madam and no breakfast either.’ I arrange a South-Indian meal for him and encourage him to settle down while we wait for his lunch to arrive. At first he is restless and walks around the office looking at the posters on the walls. As lunch arrives,… Continue reading People of Bharat: Narayan, Bengaluru
Photo by Héctor J. Rivas on Unsplash One among the many, that the coronavirus pandemic highlighted, amplified — is the complicated relationship Tirupur, a textile cluster in Tamil Nadu has with China. Tirupur exports about Rs 26,000 crore worth of textile products primarily to Europe and US. It also has a domestic sales of about Rs 24,000… Continue reading Tirupur’s complicated relationship with China