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Viewpoint: The Evolving Microfinance Revolution Has Yet to Run Its Full Course
Forty years ago, before microfinance was called microcredit, before it even had a name, I made $50 loans to 800 Guatemalan farmers in the form of six bags of 12-24-12 fertilizer, which dramatically increased their yields on the plots of maize and beans they cultivated.
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CNET Founder Eyes Bitcoin Wallet in India
From having founded the pioneering digital publishing platform CNET, selling it for $1.8 billion to CBS and filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy subsequently, Halsey Minor — an American serial tech entrepreneur from the 1990s dotcom boom era — has seen it all. His next big bet is digital finance, which he describes as the "last frontier of internet", with all other consumer-facing segments having been already tapped.
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- South Asia
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Viewpoint: India’s MFI Rules Need More Thought, or Else They Can Go Wrong
The microfinance industry has witnessed many changes since the 2010 crisis. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) eased some lending norms for microfinance institutions (MFIs), which will mean enhanced access to credit for customers. Also, the government has proposed that the Mudra Bank (Micro Units Development Refinance Agency Bank) will regulate MFIs. Alok Prasad, chief executive officer, Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), a self-regulatory organization for non-banking finance company (NBFC) MFIs, talks about regulatory challenges in the industry and how the future of microfinance may evolve. Edited excerpts:
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- lending, microfinance
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Twitter Top Ten – 5-3-15: #Nepal
Normally we recognize ten tweets each Sunday that stood out to us from the week gone by. This week we’re doing 11 - including one on a point of hope for Nepal, one week after the devastating earthquake has taken so many lives and left so many more uncertain.
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OPINION: Financial Inclusion in India – Easier Said Than Done
Given the numerous players and rapid churn in financial inclusion technologies, regulators face a challenge
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March’s Most Popular Posts: The power of transparency
Even when conclusions appear to be self evident, even “transparent,” different people tend to see different things. The perspective that transparency brings to the eye of the beholder could qualify as the theme of our most-read and most shared posts in March.
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Financial Inclusion on the Final Frontier: After years of isolation, Myanmar must build inclusive finance from the ground up
After decades of isolation, a new government is helping Myanmar rejoin the rest of the world, drawing a flood of new investment. But with 80 to 90 percent of its population lacking access to formal financial services, this investment could fail to fully impact the country’s poor. Accion CEO Michael Schlein discusses the need for new entrants to approach this market with social values and principles.
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Impact investing takes the bite out of auto loan sharks in the U.S.
Michelle Corson, founder of On the Road Lending, pools investors’ money to finance cars for low-income people at decent rates.
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- impact investing, lending
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