DBT in Fertilizer: 4th Round of Concurrent Evaluation – A National Study

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DBT in fertilizer is a modified subsidy payment system under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme. Under DBT, fertilizer companies are paid subsidy only after retailers have sold fertilizer to farmers or buyers through successful Aadhaar authentication via Point of Sale (PoS) machines. Based on a request from NITI Aayog, MSC has been conducting a nationally representative study on DBT in fertilizer.

The objectives of the current round of the study were to identify issues and challenges pertaining to the implementation of DBT at the national level, provide the government with evidence of successes and challenges that could lead to policy-level decision making, and provide actionable solutions to improve implementation.

The current engagement was the fourth round of the study—the first one was in September, 2016 in two districts in Andhra Pradesh, where the pilot project was launched. The second was in January, 2017 in six districts across five states, where the pilot project was expanded. The third round was between July and September, 2017 in 14 pilot districts in across 11 states.

 

A comprehensive framework for gender centrality in financial services

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Our incisive understanding of women as a consumer segment and the manner in which their social and economic life influences their financial behavior has enabled us to come up with this framework (gender centrality framework, MSC 2018). This framework can be used by researchers, product and program designers, and policy makers to better gender equality outcomes from their respective work. Gender centrality framework is a much needed patch which integrates women empowerment frameworks with financial inclusion agenda.

MicroSave’s key impact has been to…

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MSC has a deep understanding of the mass-market or the needs of low-income segments. We believe that service is the voice for this sector. Our consultants bring about important interventions in the lives of end-clients. Our work with governments across the globe has been transformative. Our work on government-to-people interventions in India has garnered critical acclaim, and we will replicate our success in other geographies, such as Indonesia. Our efforts bring the unserved section of society closer to the financial sector and enable services that the poor cannot afford. Other examples of our impact include the transformation of microfinance in Bangladesh, the support that we lend to smaller organizations that are not yet self-sufficient across geographies, and our work in leveraging DFS for the financial inclusion market.

MicroSave stays at the fore-front of the industry by…

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Innovation to us means constantly re-engineering ourselves to stay at the cutting edge of financial and social inclusion. We utilize technology to create lasting value for our clients and shape the direction of evolution through impactful research and innovation. Our deep understanding of markets across the globe helps us combine our global experience, bring in different types of people with diverse knowledge from across the globe, and disseminate lessons back to our clients. We contribute relentlessly to improve the lives of the deprived segments across the developing world. We align our growth with the needs of our clients, which sets us apart from the rest and stay in the lead in all the work we do.

MicroSave adds value to its clients by…

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We extend practical, operational, and on-site support to our clients. MSC places our end-customer at the center of our approach to deliver high-value, client-focused solutions to the problems that financial and social institutions face. This, in turn, enables our clients to fulfill the needs of their customers—the low- and middle-income segment.

As local experts with global experience, we ensure that our end-clients have access to high quality, affordable financial or social services. We employ our practical and objective approach to provide unbiased insights and recommendations to our clients. Various ways through which we share our knowledge with clients include training sessions, technical assistance, and research.

A new focus area that MSC should explore is.

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Agriculture is a key space where we continue our current work. Through our efforts, we will bridge the divide between farmers and the digital revolution and help them to improve both productivity and profitability. In the technology space, our recent work involves engagement with regulators and governments to create a systematic impact and build meaningful connections through digital platforms, such as AI, FinTech, and blockchain.

We continue to employ human-centric approaches to cater to the needs of the elderly, youth, women, refugees, and the health and education sectors. In our attempt to make the world a better place, we plan to address the fundamental issues related to climate change and explore ways to support its mitigation.