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
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
Photo by O’SHI on Shutterstock. In the last blog, we discussed about the need to understand financial lives of urban poor from their standpoint before devising financial products, services or tools for them. In this blog we’ll discuss some of the cash management strategies generally used by low-income households (LIHs). Cash inflow management strategies of low-income households.… Continue reading Cash Management or Managing Cash?
Progress hasn’t conformed just to the switch from chalk to marker, but the Indian Education system has transgressed in its nuances. Hefty lesson guides have been replaced by online portals that educate while they entertain. Lessons aren’t just about lectures but rather an assortment of digital aids and exercises. Gyan Saarthi, like the other… Continue reading Gyan with Technology at ‘Gyan Saarthi’
We are proud to present the book “CIIE — Celebrating 10 years of Experiments and Entrepreneurs” which chronicles the first decade of CIIE Initiatives (IIMA Ventures) and celebrates the stories of heroes aka its entrepreneurs.
Customer service and grievance management are critical challenges to the financial inclusion effort in India. As such, customer service and grievance management are key determinants of any bank’s relationship with their customers. Positive experiences of service and grievance redressal encourage customers to trust banking service providers and thereby, inspire loyalty. However, in the Indian… Continue reading Empowerment through Experience