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LONDON - I think that economists have a responsibility to write in such a way to be read by ordinary people and by political leaders, the bearded and bespectacled Oxford professor says, in a quiet and careful tone, from his home in France. So I wrote a book that’s very readable. That may not sound like a humble claim, but then Paul Collier has very clearly been read by a lot of people lately. His book, The Bottom Billion, argues plainly and often ru...
Interview with Gelber Prize Winner Paul CollierNews
A lot is expected of the middle class in emerging economies. But they just want a quiet life. Two jars of chickpeas, 20 bars of soap, three packs of cigarettes and six sachets of shampoo-all these items and more are in stock at a village store five hours away from the Indian city of Hyderabad. It is the leanest of inventories, and yet it supports great hopes. Combined with a scrap-metal business, the store is just enough to lift its owners into the ranks of India’...
The In-betweenersNews
The announcement in January by Tata Motors of its newest car, the Nano, was revealing on many levels. The announcement generated extensive coverage and commentary, but just about everyone missed the Nano’s real significance, which goes far beyond the car itself. But, OK, let’s start with the car itself - particularly the price. At about $2,500 retail, the Nano is the most inexpensive car in the world. Its closest competitor, the Maruti 800, made in India by Maruti Udyog, sells...
4 Lessons to Learn from Tata’s NanoBlog Post
Via NextBillion ally Reuben Abraham, I was pointed to James Surowiecki’s recent article, What Microloans Miss in The New Yorker.Surowiecki points out that while microfinance does a tremendous amount of good, there are also real limits to what it can accomplish. With over $25 billions of...
Micro-loans and Macro-expectationsBlog Post
Guest blogger Mallika Ahluwalia works for ACCESS Development Services, an Indian firm providing inclusive and innovative livelihood solutions enabling the poor to ovecome poverty and live with dignity. By Mallika AhluwaliaYakalakshmi lives in Nekkunda village, part of the Telengana region...
Using Microfinance to Bring Safe Drinking Water to Rural IndiaBlog Post
When talking with people inside the “base of the pyramid” (BoP) community, I often hear strong opinions about how BoP ventures should be set up.? Some people strongly support registering these ventures as for-profit entities, while others maintain that BoP activities can start out as...
For-Profit, Non-Profit or Both: The Funding GapNews
More low-cost laptops are headed to a retailer near you. Intel plans on expanding the distribution of its inexpensive, school children-friendly Classmate PC to U.S. and European retail outlets, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday. The Classmate will sell for $250 to $350, Lila Ibrahim, general manager of Intel’s emerging market platform group, told Reuters. Apparently Intel has already been conducting pilot programs using the devices in classrooms in ...
Classmate PC Coming to U.S., European RetailersNews
The mantra from businesses and politicians in the developed world is that technology will provide a solution to rising global emissions. Indeed, they say, fighting global warming can be good for business. General Electric has rightly staked a claim to be an environmental leader by selling wind turbines. Wal-Mart is going green by asking its suppliers to evaluate their emissions as they manufacture Wal-Mart products. Trading in carbon emissions can certainly be profitable: In a month o...
Poor are Sidelined on Climate
