The Livelihoods India Summit is organized by Access Development Services to facilitate dialogue on improving the livelihoods of poor people and building consensus on sustainable solutions. This ninth iteration of the event is co-hosted by the Indian government’s National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. The summit themes include: (1) Capacitating Women: Enabling them for Entrepreneurship; (2) A Dialogue on Value Addition in Agri-Value Chains between the Private and Public Sectors; (3) Infusion of Technologies in Agriculture
Category: South Asia, East Asia and Pacific
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: C-Quadrat’s Dual Return Vision Microfinance Fund Lends in 11 Countries, Including for Women in Bolivia, Farmers in China
C-Quadrat Asset Management, a unit of Austria-based C-Quadrat Investment, recently informed MicroCapital that it disbursed loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in 11 countries during December 2018. The identities of the MFIs and the amount each borrowed remain confidential.
One of the MFIs is a Bolivian NGO providing health and financial services to women via 70 urban and rural locations. The MFI offers loans, financial education, health education and testing for cervical
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ADB Lending $20m in Local Currency to MicroCred to Support MSMEs in Western China
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently agreed to loan the equivalent of USD 20 million to MicroCred China, a unit of the France-based Baobab Group, to support micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The money is intended to
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Financial Inclusion Summit; February 16, 2019; Dhaka, Bangladesh
The summit will focus on how to ensure that individuals of lower economic strata have access to adequate financial services. The listed presentation topics are (1) Innovation & Product Development for
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: TMB Bank Sells IFC $90m in Bonds to Support SMEs in Thailand
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, recently purchased USD 90 million in bonds from Thailand’s TMB Bank to support its lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This follows a
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP UP: “A New Kind of Conglomerate: Bigtech in China,” published by Institute of International Finance
This is a summary of a paper published by the Institute of International Finance, November 2018, 33 pages, available at https://www.iif.com/portals/0/Files/private/chinese_digital_nov_1.pdf
This paper focuses on the five largest technology firms in China – Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, Ping An and JD.com – and their reach into both the daily life and broader economy of China. The number of internet users in China
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FMO Buys $30m in Bonds from Satin Creditcare, Supporting Microfinance Institution’s Expansion in Rural India
Indian microfinance institution (MFI) Satin Creditcare Network recently raised USD 30 million through a bond sale to Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), a development bank controlled by the Dutch government,
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP UP: “The Bali Fintech Agenda: A Blueprint for Successfully Harnessing Fintech’s Opportunities;” published by International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group
This is a summary of a paper published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group; October 2018; 43 pages; available at:
http://www.findevgateway.org/sites/default/files/publication_files/pp101118-bali-fintech-agenda_1.pdf
The authors of this paper, whose title refers to its release at a conference in Bali, Indonesia, argue that financial technology (fintech) offers emerging markets both opportunities and risks, including risks to “financial
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: First Bond Issue Ever on Cambodian Securities Exchange Is by Microfinance Institution Hattha Kaksekar Limited (HKL) to Benefit Farmers, Other Rural Entrepreneurs
With encouragement from the Cambodian government, microfinance institution Hattha Kaksekar Limited (HKL) recently issued the first corporate bonds ever on the Cambodian Securities Exchange (CSX). The issue raised the USD equivalent of 30 million
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP UP: “Reserve Bank of Fiji’s Experience With Financial Inclusion and Climate Change;” by Klaus Prochaska, Vereimi Levula, Andrew Levula; published by Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI)
This is a summary of a case study written by Klaus Prochaska, Vereimi Levula and Andrew Levula; published by the Alliance For Financial Inclusion; 2018; 16 pages; available at: https://www.afi-global.org/publications/2899/Reserve-Bank-of-Fiji-s-Experience-with-Financial-Inclusion-and-Climate-Change
Following Tropical Cyclone Winston, which resulted in a nearly one-third reduction in Fiji’s GDP for 2016, government actors including the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) resolved to work to “make the country more resilient to extreme climate events, rising sea levels and changing weather patterns.” RBF had already decreed a
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fusion Microfinance Raises $72m in Equity from Warburg Pincus, Creation Investments; Provides Exits to Incofin, Nordic Microfinance Initiative, SIDBI, BIO
US-based investors Warburg Pincus and Creation Investments recently placed INR 520 crore (USD 72 million) in equity in Fusion Microfinance, a provider of group loans and financial literacy training to women in rural areas of northern and central India. As part of the funding round, the following investors sold their stakes in the
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Voyager Innovations of the Philippines Raises $215m in Equity from Tencent, KKR, IFC to Bring Digital Financial Services to Rural Areas
Voyager Innovations, which is controlled by the Philippines Long Distance and Telephone Company (PLDT), recently raised a total of USD 215 million in equity from China’s Tencent Holdings; KKR, a US-based investment fund formerly known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts; and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC). IFC pledged
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bangladesh to Mandate More Bank Lending to Farmers at Interest Rates Below 10%
Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country, reportedly is drafting a policy to reduce the microloan interest rates that some farmers pay from a range of 20 percent to 25 percent to a range of 9 to 9.5 percent.
Banks currently must direct 2.5 percent
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Hatton National Bank (HNB) Secures Partial Guarantee from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for $20m in Lending to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s Hatton National Bank (HNB) recently entered an agreement with the Philippines-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) to enable up to USD 20 million in lending by HNB to Sri Lanka’s microfinance sector. The deal is part of ADB’s Microfinance Risk Participation and Guarantee Program, a “credit enhancement program
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Agricultural Fintech CropIn Receives $8m in Equity from Chiratae Venture, Gates Strategic Investment Fund to Improve Satellite Imaging, Outreach in India
Bengaluru-based agricultural technology firm CropIn recently raised USD 8 million in its Series B funding round to improve and expand usage of its mobile apps and other software for agri-business. This software processes satellite imaging to predict future crop outputs as well as offering “real time insight on standing
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (FIGI) Symposium; January 22 – 24, 2019; Cairo, Egypt
Session titles at the 2019 Financial Inclusion Global Initiative (FIGI) Symposium include: Data Privacy in Digital Finance, Policy Considerations Relevant to Digital ID in Finance, and Data Analysis to Understand the Reach of Digital Financial Services. Speakers will also address
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Inclusive Finance India; December 11 – 12, 2018; New Delhi, India
The goal of Inclusive Finance India 2018 is to present a global perspective on topics such as “financial inclusion policy, regulation, supervision, technology advancements, client protection and institutional framework.” Although this year’s agenda is not yet available, last year’s event included sessions titled “Digital
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Villgro Unconvention 2018; December 7 – 8, 2018; Bengaluru, India
Event Summary: Villgro Unconvention is an event for social entrepreneurs and associated stakeholders active in India within the following sectors: agribusiness, health, education & employability, and energy. Session titles