-
Unitus Seed Fund Expands Its India StartHealth Investment Program
Unitus Seed Fund, the leading impact venture seed fund investing in startups innovating for the masses in India, announced that it is doubling down on its StartHealth investing initiative targeting investments of INR 15 crore in 6 new early-stage health technology startups. With partners such as Pfizer, PATH, Manipal Hospitals and Narayana Health, the StartHealth program provides flexible funding, expert support, and mentorship as well as access to healthcare facilities to accelerate the go-to-market path for promising startups. Unitus also announced that Dr. Ashwin Naik, founder of Vaatsalya hospitals, will be joining as a healthcare fund advisor to help support healthcare entrepreneurs invested in by Unitus. Separately, StartHealth participant UE LifeSciences announced earlier this week that it has raised a INR 19.5 crore Series A investment round led by Aarin Capital.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
-
Viewpoint: Why India’s Department of Post Should Be Restructured for Financial Inclusion and Efficiency
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently gave a licence to India Post to function as a payments bank. Does it change anything for the people? Post offices in India have already been working as payments banks. Individuals open accounts, deposit and withdraw money by cash or cheques and receive payments through them. All these transactions are meticulously recorded manually in their passbook. Post offices do not provide any loans or carry out any credit transaction. This has been in operation for more than a century and much before the RBI came into existence. So, what would change after the RBI’s licence?
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
OPINION: India’s health ministry gets a sanitary-napkin machine—but there’s just one problem
India’s union ministry of health and family welfare installed four vending machines to dispense sanitary napkins in the ladies’ washrooms of its New Delhi office. In a country where millions of women still do not use sanitary napkins—and rely on old, unhygienic rags for their monthly cycle—initiatives like these are very welcome. ... But ...
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
-
A baby box aims to save infant and maternal lives
Under a new student-led nonprofit aimed at reducing infant and maternal mortality in South Asia, expectant mothers would receive a free box full of newborn essentials like baby clothes, diapers, and wipes, as well as health-related items such as a clean delivery kit and oral rehydration salts. The caveat: Women would only get the box—which doubles as a portable basket in which babies can sleep or play—if they agree to a prenatal checkup.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
-
Mobile Wallets Gain Currency at India’s Brick-and-Mortar Stores
Could mobile wallets be to India what credit cards are to the West? When they were launched about five years ago, they were used mostly for making online payments. Increasingly, though, they are being used to make payments in the 'offline' world.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
-
Has the high court just thrown a lifeline to doctor-starved rural India?
Rural India is reeling from a shortage of doctors and medical personnel. To address this, a three-year course to train medical personnel was proposed. However, the MCI opposed the proposed course and failed to implement it. Now, the Delhi high court has ordered that it be implemented within six months.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
-
Financial Inclusion a Theme at MasterCard Investor Day
During MasterCard’s Investment Community Meeting on Wednesday (Sept. 9), the remarks from CEO Ajay Banga and his executive team gave a pretty good indication into how MasterCard views its role in the fast-moving digital payments ecosystem.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
Foreign Investment Approved for White-Label ATMs in India – But Hurdles Remain
In order to boost a space that has grown at a snail’s pace, the government on Wednesday approved 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) under the automatic route for non-bank entities that operate cash machines, subject to certain conditions. Wednesday’s move, the government said, will help improve financial inclusion in the country.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.