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How small loans can be made cheaper
“Our mothers and sisters who live in villages, whether they are educated or not, have taken a pledge. Twelve lakh people have taken a pledge that they will transact their self-help group-related business cashlessly; they will go with digital transaction, with RuPay cards,” Modi said.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Centrum Capital to acquire FirstRand Bank’s microfinance business in India
As part of starting up, Centrum Capital has executed a definitive agreement to acquire the Indian microfinance business of South Africa-based FirstRand Bank, which currently has around 70,000 customers in the Maharashtra region and employs over 300 people. This is the second lending business the firm has recently entered, following its entry into affordable housing finance at the end of last year.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- lending, microfinance
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Nigeria’s Bank of Industry partners Gates Foundation, CGAP on financial inclusion
The Bank of Industry (BoI), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) have gone into partnership to deepen financial inclusion and poverty eradication in Nigeria.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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When Failure is Hard to Recognize: Facing Hard Truths about Microfinance
After decades of faith in the ability of tiny loans to transform people’s lives, quantitative research has revealed that microfinance rarely lives up to the hype. But in spite of their lackluster impact, microfinance projects have persisted – the question is, why? After seven years of observing various actors throughout the microfinance value chain, Erin Beck, an assistant professor at the University of Oregon, has an answer. She discusses how policymakers, MFI leaders, employees and even customers contribute to microfinance’s persistence.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
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The untold story behind IndusInd Bank-Bharat Financial merger
Bharat Financial’s earlier avatar SKS’s quest to become a bank started in right earnest from the day it realized that once small finance banks are in place, it would be difficult to successfully run the microfinance business.
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- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Press release: New FICO Credit Scores Provide Lenders Opportunity to Expand Access to Credit in India for Nearly 350 Million
FICO® Score for India is based on traditional credit data available from any of the major credit bureaus in India. FICO® Score X Data India, in partnership with LenddoTM, evaluates alternative data such as that from a consumer's digital footprint (web or mobile device) to produce a score for consumers who don't have enough traditional data on file with one of the Indian credit bureaus to produce a FICO® Score for India.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Good Intentions Are Not Enough: How Microfinance Can Truly Serve Low-Income Women Entrepreneurs
Smaller businesses require smaller loans, which are generally less practical or profitable for financial institutions. Group lending solves these issues for institutions – but it’s not always ideal for customers, who often prefer an individual loan. With support from MetLife Foundation grantee Women’s World Banking, Egypt’s Lead Foundation set out to design and deliver this type of product – specifically to low-income women entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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Mongolia’s Untapped Lending Market Has Earned This Japanese-Backed Fintech Startup A $30M Valuation
In Mongolia, where the average monthly income is $390, informal loans between friends or family members are commonplace as credit and small bank loans are hard to get. On the other hand, small informal loans are almost expected to not be paid back.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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