NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

India Set to Regulate Microlenders

NEW DELHI - The Indian government plans to introduce a bill to regulate microfinance institutions that will seek to prevent them from charging very high interest rates and taking deposits, a senior finance ministry official said Friday. The bill, which will be in line with a central bank-appointed panel’s recommendation, is likely to be placed before parliament this year. Microlenders like sector leader SKS Microfinance Ltd. give loans as little as $20-$25 to small entrepreneu...

Source

The Wall Street Journal (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Accion Extends Credit Guarantees Worth $1.5 Million to 2 MFIs

New Delhi, Mar 1 (PTI) Non-profit group Accion International today said it has extended credit guarantees worth USD 1.5 million to two micro finance companies in India. Accion has issued a USD 1 million standby letter of credit (SBLC) for its partner Swadhaar FinServ and another guarantee worth USD 500,000 to Bihar-based Saija Finance. The credit guarantees helped Swadhaar FinServ and Saija Finance secure loan facilities to the tune of Rs 50 million and Rs 30 million, ...

Source

MSN-India (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Start Ups: Rising Tide of Angels Boosts Seed Capital

Scores of angels are descending on India’s booming entrepreneurial sector as risk capital for very early stage firms emerges as a profitable investment category. In Mumbai, early stage investment firm Seedfund ha...

Source

The Economic Times (link opens in a new window)

Categories

Health Care

Region

South Asia

BBC: Bangladesh Nobel Winner Muhammad Yunus is Sacked

Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been fired from the Grameen microfinance bank he founded, bank officials have told the BBC. "Bangladesh Bank has relieved Yunus of his duties as managing director of the Grameen Bank," Muzammel Huq, Grameen Bank chairman said. Correspondents say that the removal of Prof Yunus is the culmination of a long-running feud with the government. He fell out with PM Sheikh Hasina in 2007 when trying to set up a new party. The govern...

Source

BBC News (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Grameen Bank Founder Yunus Survives Attempt to Oust Him

Muhammad Yunus , the Nobel prize winning founder of the Grameen bank in Bangladesh , has survived an attempt to oust him from ...

Source

The Guardian (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

India Budget to Help Microlenders

MUMBAI -India’s finance minister Monday announced the creation of a 1-billion rupee ($22 million) equity fund for microfinance institutions, a step that will provide the much needed financial support to smaller players. "The microfinance institutions have emerged as an important means of financial inclusion. Creation of a dedicated fund for providing equity to smaller MFIs would help them maintain growth and achieve scale and efficiency in operation," Pranab Mukherjee said whi...

Source

The Wall Street Journal (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

The B-Town Doctors: Big Hospitals In Small Towns

Divya Raman, 35, goes to her friendly, neighbourhood family physician in Koramangala, suburban Bangalore, whenever her family members fall ill. But this is not an average neighbourhood clinic. The walls are a warm magenta and yellow, there is enough space to sit and, most importantly, it is clean. "It is better than regular clinics, as it is clean and you do not get put off by a crowd," says Raman. Manipal Hospital would be happy to hear Raman’s response. For the last two month...

Source

Forbes India (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia

Can a PepsiCo-Powered Crowd of Scientists Rescue Moms, Infants?

Last November, Scientists Without Borders underwent a makeover from a social networking site for scientists to an open innovation platform that crowdsources solutions to scientific problems. The first major challenge, sweetened by $10,000 in PepsiCo-funded prize money, is reducing infant mortality in the developing world through better nutrition. Infant mortality in many developing countries is high (3.6 mi...

Source

Fast Company (link opens in a new window)

Region

South Asia