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India’s microfinance institutions are struggling for survival. Here’s why.
Two decades after India-born Americancitizen Vikram Akula founded SKS Microfinance, which was rechristened as Bharat Financial, the industry that delivered livelihood to millions of poor is facing its pincer moment with private banks giving a big push to micro lending.
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Upaya Social Ventures Selects Next Two Companies for Investment: UpSkill and SMV Green
“We are thrilled to support these two companies as they scale.” Upaya’s CEO Kate Cochran said. “Upaya believes in the power of entrepreneurs to fight global poverty. Mansi and Naveen are exceptional in how deeply they share our commitment to providing jobs and opportunity."
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Social entrepreneurs need an extra push to scale up and be sustainable
For entities looking to solve SIN (spillover, important, neglected) problems and aiming to bring about social change, the going is not always easy, specially when it comes to scaling up and becoming sustainable.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Aavishkaar, the Modern Day Impact Investor
In October 2001, Aavishkaar (Hindi for ‘invention’) was launched with the money Rai had raised. It’s now part of the parent company, Aavishkaar-Intellecap Group. Intellecap was founded in 2002. The company identifies investable businesses from underprivileged areas and provides the necessary business training.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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How 3 Rickshaws Won A Million Dollar Prize
One team pitched an enterprise to bring fast and reliable web services to refugees, and two companies sought to connect displaced people to jobs through apps and digital workplaces. The winner this year is a startup called Roshni Rides, Bill Clinton announced at the end of the competition last Saturday. The former president, who began working with the Hult Prize in 2010, continued to speak but a roar of cheers drowned out his words.
- Categories
- Transportation
- Region
- South Asia
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Why it is so hard to fix India’s sanitation?
In 2014 the government pledged to end open defecation by 2019. That year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, who considered sanitation to be sacred and “more important than political freedom”.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- SDGs
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Report: Unitus Seed Fund’s Investments Impact 1.2 Million Lives Across India
Unitus Seed Fund, India’s leading impact venture fund investing in early- stage startups innovating for the masses, today released its semi-annual impact report, which is now mapped to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
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Why Google Launched Tez Instead of Android Pay in India
It's certainly logical for Google to launch a mobile wallet for India's 300 million smartphone users. But it also might seem odd to introduce Tez instead of Android Pay, which already has footholds in Asia in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
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