Nucleus Software, an India-based provider of technology to financial services firms, recently announced the launch of FinnOne Neo mFin, a system that microfinance institution (MFI) staff can access via smartphones to perform tasks such as managing loan applications and checking credit reports.
Tag: India
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPIC Loans $100m to IndusInd Bank for Microfinance Lending to Women in India
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an agency of the US government that seeks to facilitate investment by US-based firms in developing countries, recently issued an eight-year loan in the amount of USD 100 million to India’s IndusInd Bank to increase its microenterprise lending
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Social Finance Global Network, Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) Launching Social Finance India; Seeking to Raise $2b for Education, Other Double Bottom Line Investing
The UK-based Social Finance Global Network (SFGN), an group of nonprofits supporting impact investing, and the UK-based Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG), which has 19 country members plus the EU, recently announced the debut of Social Finance India. This new NGO is seeking to raise USD 1 billion each for the India Impact Fund of Funds (IIFF) and
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPIC Loans $5m in Local Currency to Grameen Impact Investments India for SMEs
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an agency of the US government that seeks to facilitate investment by US-based firms in developing countries, recently loaned INR 355 million (USD 5 million) to Grameen Impact Investments India (GIII), a unit of Grameen Capital India (GCI) that
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Accion Venture Lab, YourNest Invest $1.3m for Equity Stakes in Digital Lender CredRight of India
CredRight, an online lender to individuals as well as micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in India, recently received equity investments totaling INR 90 million (USD 1.3 million) from Accion Venture Labs, a fund of US-based NGO Accion, and YourNest, a venture capital firm
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Toffee Insurance of India Secures $1.5m in Equity for Digital Microinsurance from Kalaari Capital, Omidyar Network, Accion Venture Lab
Toffee Insurance, an online microinsurance firm based in India, recently received a total of USD 1.5 million in equity from Accion Venture Labs, a fund of US-based NGO Accion; Kalaari Capital, an Indian for-profit investment firm; and Omidyar Network, a US-based NGO. Toffee will use the
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) Conference; June 4 – 7, 2018; Singapore
Summary of Event: This sixth iteration of this event centers on maximizing social impact in Asia through investing and philanthropy. The topics are to include “strategic philanthropy,” investing in education and healthcare, investing with a gender lens, government policy implications, and
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s Arman Financial Services Decreases Interest Rates on Two-wheel Vehicle, Microfinance Loans
Arman Financial Services Limited, a non-banking finance company based in the Indian state of Gujarat, recently announced it is reducing interest rates on its two-wheel vehicle and microfinance loans.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s RBL Bank Acquires 10% Equity Stake in Utkarsh Micro Finance
RBL Bank Limited, an institution formerly known as Ratnakar Bank Limited (RBL) that is headquartered in the Indian state of Maharashtra, recently announced its plan to buy a 9.99-percent stake in Utkarsh Micro Finance, a non-banking financial institution based in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s Kotak Mahindra Bank Buying BSS Microfinance for $21m
Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB), a private-sector Indian bank, recently announced plans to acquire BSS Microfinance, a Karnataka-based non-banking financial company run by the Bharatha Swamukthi Samsthe (BSS) Trust, for INR 1.4 billion (USD 21 million)
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Banks Deceptively Reduce Number of Zero-Balance Accounts Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana Financial Inclusion Effort
Although the proportion of zero-balance bank accounts opened under India’s Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) program was reduced from 76 percent in January 2015 to 24 percent as of September 2016, it recently has been reported that this is not due to customer deposits.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Role of Impact Investing in Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals; Microfinance Investment Vehicle Survey; Lessons from Tanzania’s Digitization Efforts
“Achieving The Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of Impact Investing;” published by The Global Impact Investing Network; September 12, 2016; 9 pages; available at https://thegiin.org/knowledge/publication/sdgs-impinv
This report profiles impact investors that have leveraged the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the following purposes: (1) as a framework to communicate their social impact goals; (2) to develop new or realign existing investment strategies and; (3) to attract capital from private investors that are new to impact investing.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Inclusive Finance India Summit, December 5-6, 2016, New Delhi, India
Event Name: Inclusive Finance India Summit 2016
Event Date: December 5-6, 2016
Event Location: The Ashok Hotel, 50-B, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri; New Delhi, Delhi 110021, India
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s Nandan Nilekani, Ratan Tata, Vijay Kelkar, R.Venkataramanan Announce the Start of New Microfinance Company, Avanti Finance
Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder of Infosys Limited; Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons; Vijay Kelkar, Chairman of India’s National Institute of Public Finance and Policy; and R. Venkataramanan, Managing Trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, recently announced the launch of Avanti Finance, “a technology enabled financial inclusion vehicle.”
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Innovations in Building Financial Capability; BBVA Microfinance Foundation Social Performance Report; Growth, Evolving Trends in Financial Inclusion in India
“A Change in Behavior: Innovations in Financial Capability”; published by the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion; April 2016; 47 pages; available at http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/fi2020/roadmap-to-inclusion/innovations-in-financial-capability
This document describes research aimed at identifying effective interventions for building the financial capability of microfinance customers, specifically as administered by three groups: financial service providers, governments and social service providers.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Interest Rate Cuts by Reserve Bank of India Trickle Down to Microfinance Loans
Successive interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) since 2015 have led to decreasing cost of funds for microfinance institutions (MFI) and a reduction in lending rates to end customers.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IFMR Investment Managers Raising Third Debt Fund, IFMR FImpact Medium Term Microfinance Fund
The Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Investment Managers, a unit of India-based IFMR Trust Group providing investment management services in asset classes that impact the financially excluded, is seeking to raise INR 1 billion (USD 15 million) for a debt fund called IFMR FImpact Medium Term Microfinance Fund to invest exclusively in microfinance firms.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IDFC Bank Acquires India’s Grama Vidiyal Micro Finance
The Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) Bank, an Indian for-profit private company providing banking and other financial services, recently acquired Grama Vidiyal Micro Finance, a microfinance institution (MFI) headquartered in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, increasing its rural and semi-urban customer base by 1.2 million.