Archive for the ‘Featured Post’ Category

By, Daniel Rozas, Microfinance Consultant By most standards, microfinance is a young sector, and in many countries it can be said to still be in its infancy.   Yet its continuing spectacular growth, especially in India, should give one pause – every time promoters celebrate another multi-million-client threshold, I wonder – how many more such thresholds are left?  How do we know when we’ve arrived? This is not ... Full story

By Peter Burgess , New York Bureau Chief –Microfinance Focus The missing middle is in the conversation again ... maybe because the microfinance industry is heading towards the SME segment of the market that needs financial services and is not getting services ... but maybe simply because MFIs think that bigger loans will earn them more profit and improve their financial performance. What is the missing middle? ... Full story

By Dr. Amrit Patel --- One of the objectives of the rural credit policy has been to minimize the dependence of rural poor on non-institutional sources of credit. The study of Basic Statistical Returns, 2005; Census data, 2001 and the Debt and Investment Survey during 1992 and 2003, however, exhibited a dismal performance of rural credit institutions, their policy and implementation. Average population per branch served by scheduled ... Full story

G Muralidhar | Akshara Network for Livelihoods Support We, as a country, have come a long way in meeting the financial needs of the poor. We are witnessing a transformation of micro-finance as a growth industry. More and more women are mobilized into SHGs all over the country. They are further mobilized into higher order federations. Bank linkages are growing rapidly. Some banks have started ... Full story

Background Mobile banking, a symbiosis of technology and financial services, is the hottest area of development in the banking sector and is expected to replace the debit/credit card system in future. ATM and Internet banking have been around in India for a while. While both modes have had some success, penetration and use levels have been moderate. While ATMs offer convenience, they pose a perceived security threat ... Full story

MICRO- FINANCE FOR  SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES : NEED FOR ACTION PLAN Dr   Amrit Patel In recent years India has made rapid strides in providing micro-credit to a very large number of SHGs. While individual members, more importantly, women borrowers, of these SHGs have  been able to eke out a living thriugh taking up & expanding  their traditional economic activities being financed under the Micro-credit programs through ... Full story