Abhishek Anand

Partner

Abhishek Anand is a Partner and leads the inclusive banking and enterprise development consulting vertical for MSC in Asia. He has 16 years of experience in strategy and management consulting in banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI). His expertise includes strategy development, institutional and digital transformation, digital credit, product development, and channel innovation. He has considerable experience in MSME finance and development and has done national-level MSME landscape assessments.

Abhishek has advised more than 150 development and financial institutions, regulators, and policymakers. His clients include multilateral donor agencies, central banks, ministries at the policy level and MFIs, FinTechs, banks, payments banks, agent network managers (business correspondent network managers), and community-based institutions at the meso level and the supply side. He has vast experience delivering onsite projects in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Pacific regions. This includes India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania, Fiji, the UK, France, and Luxembourg.

Posts by Abhishek Anand

Customer-centric and responsible digital credit solutions for urban and rural non-farm entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers

MSC conducted a deep-dive analysis of the digital credit users in India, Indonesia, and Kenya to assess the impact of digital credit on their financial health. The analysis presents the insights from the assessment and recommends actionable interventions at the level of providers, regulators, and policymakers to enhance the financial health of digital credit users.

The Revolution MUST be Digitalized

It is clear that digital transformation is a journey, not a destination – so incremental progress is to be expected. Equity Bank, one of the leading microfinance providers in Kenya, developed a well-articulated approach and took over a decade to digitalize its operations. It started with the equivalent of a digital readiness assessment, on which it based its digital transformation strategy in 2010. MSC worked alongside Equity Bank, providing consulting services, for much of its digital transformation journey.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs): Bangladesh report

The COVID-19 crisis has proven devastating for MSMEs in Bangladesh, which have seen their revenues reduce to almost half. Our report analyzes the pandemic’s economic consequences on MSMEs and highlights their coping strategies. It also provides policy recommendations to help them recover.

India: Impact of COVID-19 on Business Correspondents

This report highlights the impact of COVID-19 on business correspondent (BC) agents in India and the issues they faced while delivering financial services in the wake of the pandemic. It also offers policy recommendations to help BCs offer uninterrupted services.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Micro, Small, and Medium enterprises (MSMEs): India report

MSMEs in India have been adversely affected by the lockdown announced as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. This report outlines the impact of the pandemic on MSMEs and offers policy recommendations to support their recovery.

Aspiring youths in self-help-groups: Can they become change agents in their communities?

Several self-help-group (SHG) programs across the country have contributed significantly to empower women in the social, political, and economic spheres. But, young female SHG members demand more from the SHG model. Read our blog for a more nuanced and detailed understanding of the key challenges of young female members, which, if resolved, can further add to the success of the SHG model.

Micro and small enterprises: Will the pandemic put an end to their business?

This blog looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on micro and small enterprises (MSEs) across low- and middle-income countries, which are particularly vulnerable to shocks. Our research insights will help policymakers and financial institutions support the recovery and rebuilding of the MSME sector in the wake of the disease.

CICO Agents: The under-valued “first responders”

Our ongoing research uncovered a set of unique challenges that cash-in/cash-out (CICO) agents currently face in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we look at the experience and behaviors of CICO agents across eight countries and explore ways to support them through favorable policies, even as the disease rages on around the world.