Meera sits tentatively on the edge of her seat. She takes up little space and wraps her arms protectively around an old plastic bag, guarding it close to her chest. Her thin frame is upright and a tad bit tense. We hear the steady hiss of rain outside. It has poured for over 36… Continue reading People of Bharat: Meera, Mumbai
Photo by on Michel Piccaya Shutterstock I was into our 3rd week of brainstorming on the project when I realised that I still couldn’t see our target audience clearly. I had spoken to several stakeholders, fintech leaders, on-field experts and designers and while the problem statement and the need for a solution was clear, I… Continue reading Graphical Contracts and low income consumers
Photo by Travel Stock on Shutterstock. Meet Devi, a 35 year old woman who lives in sub-urban Mumbai with her two children and husband. Devi came to Mumbai to live with her husband upon getting married at the age of 18. Relocating to Mumbai was quite a cultural shock for her initially, but she is… Continue reading Understanding the Open Banking Enigma with Devi
I wander around one hot afternoon, looking for the shops where wood work is done. I know these shops; they are quite close to where I live. Usually, they are full of about 6 to 10 men busily hammering away, but this afternoon the shutters are down and I struggle to find a single store… Continue reading People of Bharat: Sasanth, Ahmedabad
‘Medical Surgery’ gives people nightmares! But have you ever wondered if medical treatments could be as comforting as travelling? ‘Medical Tourism’ merges the healthcare with ticketed journeys. Travel to other countries for the purpose of receiving superior quality medical treatment facilities at affordable costs, by highly skilled doctors and you are officially a part… Continue reading Exploring Healthier Destinations with Health Exploration
Photo by Visually Engaged Entrepreneurship rests on initiative. Initiative beckons action, actions produce outcomes, and outcomes, including failure, often signify the way forward. A popular entrepreneurial motto is ‘Don’t just think, ACT!’ Endless loops of creative thinking may lead nowhere. Action is necessary — entrepreneurs believe. However, in a bid to move first, act… Continue reading Thinking Beyond Immediate Outcomes of Financial Inclusion
Vinay and his family pore over a fat bunch of pictures; his uncle withholds the bunch and passes each photograph around for everyone to cherish closely. “These are from my wedding,” Vinay explains. His young 17 year old wife, Hema, sits across from us with her sari covering her face, indicating the presence of an… Continue reading People of Bharat: Vinay, Ahmedabad
Image by Rasica on Shutterstock In our last blog, we highlighted the need for a Multi-stakeholder perspective in understanding and addressing the myriad challenges of effective risk management in agriculture, in India. In this piece, we highlight some insights from ongoing interviews with key insurance sector experts[1] on the evolution of agricultural insurance in India, the adequacy… Continue reading Building a case for meso-level insurance: Perspectives from Sector Experts
Photo by Tukaram Karve on Shutterstock In our previous post, we highlight the role of technology (and mobile phone/smartphone based solutions in particular) in overcoming the information asymmetries that persist in agriculture in India, especially among small and marginal farmers. The opportunity afforded by smartphone based solutions to providing digital financial solutions in combination with improved… Continue reading Lessons from the Field: Usability of Digital Financial Services
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
Photo by Marekuliasz on Shutterstock. Introduction Academic papers and research reports often show us fascinating results. But they often present data without going into much detail of how it was collected. Such papers and reports make the research process and fieldwork seem controllable and straightforward. However, the reality is often quite the opposite. The process… Continue reading The many challenges of doing research in the field
Why we invested in Kaleidofin Puneet and Sucharita have been a part of the founding team at IFMR. They have a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver financial services to the poor. This comes from the research and the work that they have done in this sector. I have benefitted from… Continue reading Personalised Financial Solutions for the Underserved