How microfinance companies use women’s labour for profit with little regard for financial inclusion

Far from entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency, the messy reality is that most women borrow money to clear debts or pay for school fees and medical expenses.

Smitha Radhakrishnan

· Apr 17, 2023 · 07:30 am

Interview with NABARD chief: Women are the best borrowers and the best repayers

India needs to increase the proportion of women in the workforce to give it an economic impetus, says GR Chintala.

Govindraj Ethiraj, IndiaSpend.com

· Dec 21, 2021 · 09:30 pm

As pandemic pushes India’s microfinance sector to the brink, women are the first to fall

Loan disbursement by the sector fell by 97% in the April-June quarter compared to previous year.

Mahima Jain

· Dec 18, 2020 · 09:00 am

Women’s self-help groups in rural India have pushed past obstacles and boosted household incomes

The National Rural Livelihood Mission benefited Dalits and Adivasis as much or more than other social groups, a recent evaluation found.

Shreya Khaitan, IndiaSpend.com

· Oct 25, 2020 · 01:30 pm

Over 40.35 crore poor have access to banks as Jan Dhan scheme completes six years: Finance Ministry

The government also said 34.81 crore or 86.3% account were operative in August.

Scroll Staff

· Aug 28, 2020 · 08:13 pm

Over 80% Indians now have bank accounts. How many are actually using them?

Narendra Modi government’s Jan Dhan Yojana was supposed to increase financial inclusion by making banking more accessible to the poor. It has come up short.

Neha Abraham, FactChecker.in

· May 18, 2019 · 08:30 pm

Nandan Nilekani to chair RBI panel to improve digital payments

The five-member panel has been tasked with improving financial inclusion through digitisation.

Scroll Staff

· Jan 08, 2019 · 05:22 pm

Government claims Jan Dhan Yojana was a big success. Here’s a reality check

Independent research suggests that the financial inclusion scheme may not have had as big an impact.

Mayank Jain

· Sep 06, 2017 · 05:30 pm

With first Sharia-compliant co-op bank in Kerala, has Islamic banking moved ahead in India?

The ‘Halal Fayidah’ bank aims to attract devout Muslims who are out of the conventional banking system as giving and charging interest is against Islamic law.

TA Ameerudheen

· Jul 27, 2017 · 10:30 am

Full text: Raghuram Rajan on how Indians can be freed from the clutches of moneylenders

Three approaches to greater financial inclusion for people on the margins.

Raghuram G Rajan

· Jul 19, 2016 · 09:45 am

This public sector bank was so successful it gave Rs 658 billion in profits to the Centre

But RBI governor Raghuram Rajan thinks this should mean better pay and pension.

Rohan Venkataramakrishnan

· Aug 30, 2015 · 09:00 am

The weak link in Modi's ambitious plan to give every Indian a bank account

If the Pradhanmantri Jan Dhan Yojana is to work, the government will have to find a way to make the business correspondent model truly sustainable.

Rohan Venkataramakrishnan

· Aug 18, 2014 · 06:44 am