-
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.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
Aavishkaar raises $75 million for foreign investments
Aavishkaar, India's biggest social entrepreneurship focused venture capital fund, will be investing about Rs 500 crore ($75 million) in start-ups from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
-
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.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
Survey: Majority of population exposed to unsafe drinking water
The majority of the population in Pakistan is exposed to the hazards of drinking unsafe and polluted water from both surface and ground water sources.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- public health
-
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.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
Integrating poorest people within the value chain is a key to success: Global Development Network
Panelist and participants at the 16th Global Development Network annual conference discussed how businesses must be more inclusive in catering to more than 40 per cent population of the world that lives below $2 a day.
- Region
- South Asia
-
Social Enterprises Get US$112K Worth of Grants at DBS-NUS Event
DBS Foundation and NUS Enterprise have announced the winners of the 2015 DBS-NUS Social Venture Challenge Asia (SVC Asia), adding that they would receive grant monies totalling S$150,000 (US$112,000).
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
-
India Scraps Import Duties on AIDS Drugs to Battle Shortage
India has scrapped customs import duties for drugs and test kits used to treat AIDS in an effort to cut prices across the country, as it struggles to cope with an ongoing shortage in its national program to fight the disease.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter, "NextBillion Notes"
Published each Wednesday, our e-newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with a selection of news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage — and regular conference ticket giveaways.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.