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How India’s Digital Payments Revolution Can Advance its Position as a ‘Soft-Power Superpower’
With cultural exports like Bollywood movies, delicious cuisine and yoga, India is already a soft-power powerhouse, argues Tidhar Wald. But with financial inclusion rising from 35 to 80 percent in just six years, and a biometric ID system that reaches 1 billion people, the country could become a soft-power superpower. Wald explores how India can both inspire and learn from other countries in creating an inclusive digital economy.
- Categories
- Finance
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Viewpoint: Blockchain: A Solution in Search of a Problem?
The question we have is not “Does blockchain work?” but "Does it work better than other technology solutions in the market?"
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Kenya moves to regulate fintech-fuelled lending craze
“We have a lot of predatory lending out here, which we want to regulate,” Geoffrey Mwau, director general of budget, fiscal and economic affairs at the treasury, told reporters on Thursday.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Why Focus Groups Aren’t Enough: A Surprising Lesson in Marketing Insurance in Africa
Building a customer-centric company naturally requires engagement with end users. But as digital insurance provider Inclusivity Solutions discovered, sometimes just speaking to customers is not enough. Tyler Tappendorf discusses how the company combined customer feedback with more quantitative data, after focus group input conflicted with real-world results in marketing campaigns in East Africa.
- Categories
- Finance
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Press release: Experian: 78 percent of lenders believe alternative credit data improves financial inclusion
First-ever State of Alternative Credit Data report says lenders believe factoring in alternative credit data allows greater access to credit, consumers willing to provide additional information if it increases chances of approval or better terms
- Region
- North America
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Women & Banking: India’s financial inclusion suffers from a gender gap
Indian women score disproportionately low on ordinary functions such as savings and borrowings: of more than three-fourths who have a bank account, less than a fifth (16.7%) save formally, i.e., at banks.
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- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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MetLife Foundation Partners with Kiva to Support Entrepreneurs and Build Financial Inclusion
MetLife Foundation has partnered with Kiva, a global non-governmental organization, to support entrepreneurs around the world through an employee engagement campaign. As part of this programme, a fully funded US$25 loan has been allocated to each of MetLife's 23,000 employees in Asia to help entrepreneurs start, sustain and grow their businesses.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Behavioural Nudges: Mildly Paternalistic or a Threat to Economic Justice for the Poor?
"Nudges” – ie: the use of behavioral science insights to steer human behavior – are increasingly seen as a cheap and effective way to achieve social goals. But according to social researcher Sally Brooks, there are some troubling questions about whether the use of nudges for business purposes is good for the poor. She explores the issue through the prism of digital financial inclusion in the era of fintech and big data.
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