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Bandhan Bank Is Born: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh’s Incredible Journey From a Sweet Shop to Owning a Bank
In most Indian languages, the word Bandhan means bond or togetherness. His bond with the credit-deprived poor in Eastern India’s villages and a Rs 2 lakh loan were the initial capital for Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, the son of a small sweet-shop owner from Bengal, to begin a microfinance institution, Bandhan Financial Services Ltd, and grow it to a private bank in less than 15 years.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Thread Raises $3.5 Million Round for Clean Textile Innovation
Thread, a Pittsburgh-based startup dedicated to creating dignified jobs in the developing world, recycles plastic into socially responsible fabric.
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- Uncategorized
- Tags
- impact investing
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U.S. startup combines Bitcoin with Islamic microfinance in Indonesia
Founded in San Francisco and recently moved to Jakarta, a financial startup called Blossom aims at nothing less than shaking up the microfinance sector in Indonesia.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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ADB to Increase Lending to Support India’s New Initiatives
Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao today met with India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to discuss ADB’s partnership with India. Mr Nakao also met with Minister of Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu and discussed ADB’s support to the government’s new urban initiatives. He stressed that ADB is committed to strengthening its support to India’s new initiatives that target increased economic growth and reduced poverty.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Empty accounts continue to plague India’s financial inclusion plan
More than half of a record 160 million accounts opened in India as part of a drive to offer banking to all are still empty, illustrating the massive task ahead for one of the government's most high-profile campaigns and the strain on banks.
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- Uncategorized
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- South Asia
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Zimbabwe at the forefront of the mobile revolution
While everyone looks to Kenya as the leader in mobile money transfers, when it comes to sending money from mobiles, Zimbabweans have been almost twice as eager to use an app to make a transfer.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Indonesian start-ups helping to broaden financial inclusion
A string of innovative financial products from Indonesian start-ups are circumventing the traditional payment and investment system, helping to broaden financial inclusion and challenging the established banks.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Thundafund: The crowdfunding platform made for Africa
One South African company has created an ethically-conscious platform for entrepreneurs from the continent -- and it's leaving its rivals by the wayside in the process.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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