Ajmal is reticent. He cautiously steps out of his makeshift tenement on the margins of the kiln site. He is off work this afternoon. He plans to spend his time lying on the mud floor of his sparse quarter, on top of a plastic gunny bag. His children, an infant and a toddler, giggle unattended… Continue reading People of Bharat: Ajmal, Mumbai
Photo by Andre Nery on Shutterstock. With the advent of digital payments, financial technology provides a great opportunity to achieve the goal of financial inclusion in countries like India. As we describe in an earlier blog, in this study, we will be using the ecosystems approach and behavioral interventions to increase (i) knowledge about, (ii) acceptability… Continue reading Financial Ecosystems and Digital Payments: Insights from Karnataka
Kartik sits on a low parapet, sipping tea with his fellow workmates. He works as a housekeeping staff for an agency contracting housekeeping jobs for large offices and institutions. His current contract involves a premier college in Ahmedabad. The college campus echoes with the calls of peacocks, cuckoos and chirping of squirrels. Kartik smiles with… Continue reading People of Bharat: Karthik, Ahmedabad
Project Kish is named after The Kish tablet. A limestone tablet from the Sumer region inscribed with pictographic proto-cuneiform signs. Dated 3500 BC, it is one of earliest type of communication systems to work across languages. https://www.projectkish.org This reflects the thought process of the project itself which seeks to create a graphical language for… Continue reading Project Kish — Making Legal Language Accessible
As per the latest estimates, there are about 100 million blue-collar workers in urban India, largely employed in the ever-expanding urban informal sector[1]. This sector represents a wide range of unskilled and semi-skilled avenues of contractual or casual employment. The blue-collar segment includes service providers like plumbers, gardeners, drivers and domestic helpers, alongside individuals who… Continue reading Matter of utmost liquidity — why take chit funds online
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