The crucial link between financial access and decision making of the poor
A new paper by Anandi Mani et al in the August issue of Science has a stunning finding – that the cognitive impact of being poor may be equivalent to as much as 13 IQ points.
Housing Rental Markets for the Poor (and not-so-poor)
I read an excellent post by Ajay Shah recently that questioned the policy wisdom of emphasising house ownership over rental housing.
How much do rural bank branches cost the financial sector?
For every loan of Rs, 10,000 made through a Public Sector Bank rural branch, it costs them about Rs. 4150. The same number for a Private Sector Bank rural branch is about Rs. 3210. Little wonder then that rural branch expansion meets with so much resistance.
Innovations in Micro Finance: Field notes from Eastern Uttar Pradesh
A few colleagues and I recently travelled through Varanasi and Mirzapur in Eastern Uttar Pradesh visiting Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) in that region and their clients. I am delighted to report that this region, one of the poorest in India, is a hotbed of innovations.
Why the land and gold obsession of rural Indians may be entirely rational
What does the asset allocation look like for people living in remote rural India (villages with less than 5000 population)?
Who will pay for the payments plumbing?
What will it take to make payments universal in India with a ratio closer to one point for every 100 citizens and importantly, who will pay for creating this infrastructure?
Will the For-Profit Model be Accepted in the Social Sector?
Governments have proven to be too inefficient, the non-profits too small and the corporates too greedy to provide basic services. What about for-profit social enterprises?
