MSC, SIDBI, and CRUT partnered to enhance Odisha’s urban public e-mobility ecosystem to make it more gender-inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
The program targets the underrepresentation of women in non-traditional roles in the transport sector. It also focuses on creating opportunities for a lack of green service providers offering ancillary services (such as., last-mile e-rickshaws) to support a comprehensive green electric bus transport system. MSC trained over 240 female bus conductors in Bhubaneshwar and across other CRUT zones such as Berhampur, Sambalpur, and Rourkela. Many of these women are first time earners from tribal and rural backgrounds. Male staff across CRUT’s e-bus system which included guides, captains, and depot workers were also sensitized on gender inclusion to build acceptance of women in these non-traditional roles. We also drafted a community support strategy to prevent dropouts by women, encouraging peer support and robust grievance resolution mechanisms.
The project was funded by SIDBI in partnership with MSC.
In Cambodia, most agricultural production is carried out by smallholder farmers. These farmers face significant challenges, such as limited access to technology, finance, markets, and infrastructure. The impacts of climate change exacerbated these challenges. To address these issues, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) conceptualized the Modern Agriculture Communities (MACs) to establish economically robust agricultural enterprises. MACs would help farmers overcome traditional challenges and adapt to climate change.
MSC had to develop a comprehensive business plan to establish and operationalize MACs. We conducted a detailed literature review and secondary research to analyze Cambodia’s agricultural landscape and the challenges smallholder farmers face. We designed quantitative and qualitative research tools, which included structured surveys, focus group discussion (FGD) guides, and key informant interview (KII) frameworks, to gather robust data from various stakeholders. We then conducted a quantitative survey with more than 300 farmers across four crops, organized eight FGDs with MAC management and farmer members, and held six KIIs with value chain actors. These insights form the basis for the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for MACs and a business plan template.
MSC developed a value proposition and market strategy for the MACs and created a detailed financial blueprint and management framework. We also designed practical SOPs and a business plan template to support the successful implementation and scaling of the MAC initiative across Cambodia. The initiative also promoted gender equality, as women comprised a significant portion of agricultural cooperative members.
The Cowater International, which manages the CAPRED facility, commissioned this project.
Despite the widespread rollout of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in 2016, which provided free LPG connections to low-income women in India, a significant number of households continued to rely on biomass fuels for cooking. This persistent dependence led to severe indoor air pollution, health hazards, and reduced productivity due to time spent on fuel collection. One of the key challenges was the low rate of LPG cylinder refills. Nearly 30% of beneficiaries did not refill their cylinders regularly.
To address these gaps, MSC implemented a community-based solution by developing and scaling a network of women agents known as Ujjwala Sakhis. These women, drawn from rural communities, were trained to act as last-mile delivery and awareness agents for LPG usage. MSC provided technical and operational support to strengthen the LPG distribution system, increase awareness of the benefits of clean cooking fuel, and enable better access to credit for LPG refills through targeted microloans.
The initiative led to significant improvements in LPG adoption and women’s economic empowerment. Over 1,000 Ujjwala Sakhis earned supplementary income by facilitating access to LPG in their communities. The initiative resulted in over 450,000 LPG refills and the disbursement of more than 12,500 targeted Ujjwala loans. These outcomes reduced the burden of collecting traditional fuel and improved health outcomes and environmental benefits, including the reduction of 20 kilotons of CO₂ emissions. The project demonstrated the power of grassroots women-led models in driving behavior change and improving access to clean energy solutions.
The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.
Women entrepreneurs in India face systemic barriers in accessing credit and support from formal financial institutions. These challenges limit their ability to grow businesses and earn stable incomes. Despite their potential, many lack access to large enterprise loans and have limited awareness of available credit options. Complex loan processes and documentation further discourage them from approaching banks. As a result, many continue to depend on informal, high-cost sources of finance with little protection.
To address these challenges, MSC designed and scaled an enterprise loan product for SHG women entrepreneurs in Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The initiative aimed to empower low-income women entrepreneurs by linking them with formal financial systems and building their capacity to run sustainable businesses.
We designed credit products tailored to the needs of SHG-led microenterprises and worked to streamline financial processes within participating institutions. It forged strategic partnerships with financial service providers and government stakeholders to enable the flow of need-based, affordable credit. MSC also supported the formalization of women-led enterprises and implemented targeted capacity-building initiatives to enhance their financial and business management skills.
By May 2025, the initiative enabled over 75,000 SHG-led microenterprises to access formal credit and resulted in loan disbursements exceeding USD 66 million. It significantly improved women’s access to enterprise finance, strengthened their ability to manage and grow their businesses, and contributed to advancing financial inclusion across underserved rural communities.
The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.
Rural populations in Uttar Pradesh often struggle to access formal banking services due to limited infrastructure, low financial literacy, and geographic isolation. To address these barriers, the Government of Uttar Pradesh launched the Business Correspondent (BC) Sakhi initiative. The program identifies women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and trains them to serve as bank agents, delivering doorstep banking services to remote and underserved rural areas. MSC played a pivotal role in supporting the scale-up of the BC Sakhi initiative.
MSC provided technical assistance to the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (UPSRLM) to digitally onboard and manage BC Sakhis through a mobile application and web-based platform, enabling streamlined deployment and real-time monitoring. We also developed customized training modules to enhance the capacity of BC Sakhis in delivering secure and effective financial services. In addition, MSC offered ongoing support to strengthen operational processes and promote the long-term sustainability of the BC Sakhi model.
By May 2025, this initiative helped identify, train and successfully onboard 40,000 women as BC Sakhis across Uttar Pradesh. These agents now actively deliver banking services in remote areas and significantly expand financial access. To date, the BC Sakhis have reached over 68 million adults, processed transactions worth more than USD 4 billion, and earned a collective USD 11 million in commissions—advancing both financial inclusion and women’s economic empowerment in the state.
The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.
Women entrepreneurs managing nano, micro, and small enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa face persistent challenges in accessing affordable and productive credit. These challenges were further worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, Asia and Latin America have seen greater success in scaling microfinance solutions, due to more enabling environments and better aggregation opportunities. To address this disparity, MSC conducted a comparative landscape assessment across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
MSC developed a learn-test-scale strategy to improve access to productive credit for women entrepreneurs in Kenya and Uganda. We assessed 130+ financial institutions, evaluated their intent, capabilities, and partnerships, and shortlisted five institutions—Stanbic Kenya, Stanbic Uganda, KCB, BRAC Uganda, and FINCA—to co-develop and implement proof-of-concept pilots tailored to women entrepreneurs’ needs.
MSC supported these institutions with product development plans, alternate credit scoring models, pricing strategies, and iterative prototype testing. We are also helping structure a second-tier financing facility to channel low-cost, long-term capital into the sector. Our ongoing technical assistance covers KPI definition, product refinement, and pilot implementation across all approved institutions. Through this work, MSC is helping unlock affordable, scalable credit for thousands of underserved women entrepreneurs in East Africa. The project builds an evidence-based roadmap for inclusive financial ecosystems and supports institutions in delivering impactful, gender-intentional credit solutions.
The Gates Foundation commissioned the project.