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Product Development Booklet

Posted on by Parul Tandon

The Product Development is the second publication under the Optimising Performance and Efficiency (OPE) Series. The OPE Series brings together key insights and ideas on specific topics, with clear objective of providing microfinance practitioners with practical and actionable advice.

The Product Development Booklet is a compendium of MicroSave’s Briefing Notes and India Focus Notes with focus on a wide range of opportunities, issues and challenges. This brief publication mines MicroSave’s rich experience and blends it with that of leading consultants and practitioners in the field of product development and research. There are enriching experiences from Asia and Africa where MicroSave has partnered with a number of MFIs in delivering its product development expertise along with market research. Product development is one of the core areas which determine expansion of MFIs in relation to its target clientele.

Mobile Payments: Ten Years On, What Has Changed?

Posted on by Parul Tandon

A decade ago it seemed clear that it was only a matter of time before mobile payments and mobile banking became a major part of the way in which poor people received financial services. This Briefing Note considers some of the key developments. Providing that a dominant and interoperable transaction infrastructure emerges, there should be major opportunities for MFIs to re-engineer business process to reduce costs using the capabilities of mobile payment platforms. This is already happening in the Philippines, and in Kenya.

Microfinance – Time to Get to Back to Basics?

Posted on by MSC

The rapid growth of the microfinance sector in the last few years has completely changed its complexion and nature. Detractors of typical ‘Grameen’ replicators have been saying for a while that high rates of growth have led to mono-products and multiple lending to a vulnerable section of the population. Overall, the need for microfinance in India cannot be understated and the role of private sector microfinance whether in ‘for-profit’ or ‘not-for-profit’ formats will remain. However, any business which forgets its client cannot have a bright future.

Compartamos Controversy Leadership and Responsibilities Part 3

Posted on by MSC

In this video Richard Rosenberg, consultant to CGAP, discusses the details behind Compartamos Controversy. He explains why profit was necessary to attract investors and what factors led to the controversy. In retrospect, he also reflects on what could have been done to avoid the crisis. Compartamos Bank Mexico is one of the leading MFIs in Latin America.

State of Microfinance in India 2010

Posted on by MSC

This note provides a quick overview of the key issues and challenges facing India microfinance as of March 31st, 2010. It highlights the remarkable growth of the microfinance industry as well as its commercialisation over the last 3-4 years. The note also examines the importance of offering a diverse range of financial services; the potential of m-banking and the banking correspondent model for inclusion; and for assessing social performance management in a meaningful manner.

Compartamos Controversy Leadership and Responsibilities Part 2

Posted on by MSC

In this video Richard Rosenberg, consultant to CGAP, discusses the interest rate debate in the microfinance sector and what role it played in Compartamos Bank Mexico controversy – one of the leading MFI in Latin America. He also explained the institutional arrangement of Compartamos that governed the money flow. Explaining further, Richard says the political and general view on interest rate makes microfinance institutions vulnerable to fixing higher interest rates. Sharing the events in India where microfinance managers were publically criticised over interest rates, Richard says interest rates is a sensitive subject when it comes to microcredit.