-
Aakash May Not Help Bridge the Digital Divide
Developments in the information technology world have been catching the headlines in the last few days. We lost "magician" Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc., none of whose innovations I see being used by poor people. The Indian government launched the $35 (Rs. 1,700) tablet called Aakash, which Union minister Kapil Sibal called a "tablet for the poor." Also, the government released a telecom policy that, perhaps belatedly, proposes to give infrastructure sector status to th...
- Region
- South Asia
-
Focus on Social Objective, MFIs Told
Indian micro lenders, who were gripped by a crisis that began in October last year, are now under pressure from investors not to ramp up growth but to make sure they are sticking to their basic precept of serving the poor. Microfinance-focused private investors are increasingly making social performance assessment a must for the lenders. Microfinance institutions, or MFIs, provide small loans to poor borrowers. They lend at 24-36% on account of high operational costs, sourcing money fro...
- Region
- South Asia
-
’India is to be a beachhead market for us’: Danone
Groupe Danone has kickstarted its bottom-of-the-pyramid (BoP), or mass market, business by launching a milk-based fortified dessert called Fundooz in India. The 17-billion French dairy giant has set up a country business unit for this venture. The division will innovate "at various levels for the BoP population"...
- Region
- South Asia
-
$25M Fund Set Up to Finance ?Small Cap? Agribusiness in East Africa
A new fund has been set up by a group of impact investors and a US government agency to drive growth in East Africa’s troubled agricultural sector. Already, $25 million has been invested into the African Agricultural Capital Fund (AACF) by the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and impact investors, who include Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Pearl Capital Partners, a Kampala-based specialised A...
- Region
- South Asia
-
LIBA Establishes India’s First Research and Innovation Center for BOP
LIBA (Loyola Institute of Business Administration), among India’s leading management institutes today announced the establishment of Prof. C.K Prahalad Center for Emerging India, India’s first research and innovation center focused exclusively on BOP marketing and among the early pioneers across the globe in this space. The center will be a key landmark to India’s growing BOP market estimated at 835 million and recognized as among the largest globally, besides emerging as th...
- Region
- South Asia
-
Sanitation: Time to Tackle an MDG Laggard
It is hardly the most glamorous role for Shah Rukh Khan , yet "the king of Bollywood" has agreed to lend his name to the cause of sanitation and hygiene, the laggards in the mille...
- Region
- South Asia
-
Kerala Achieves Financial Inclusion in All Its Villages
Speaking at an event organized by State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced that Kerala now has a banking facility in all its villages. Kerala was declared a financially inclusive state in December 2007. At least one member in every household of the state had a bank account. According to an Economic Times report, The Reserve Bank of India directed that the plan be extended to provide banking facilities in all di...
- Region
- South Asia
-
Danone Floats New Unit to Develop Products for Masses
French dairy firm Danone today launched a new business unit in India dedicated for developing products for the masses, as it looks to expand its presence in smaller towns and cities. The new unit, Danone BOP India will focus on development and marketing of products that will primarily target smaller towns, where disposable incomes are low. "We have launched a new business unit dedicated to base of pyramid [BOP] consumers... There have been lot of initiatives within the ...
- 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.