Resource Type: Research Papers

MSC collaborated with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) to publish this report, which maps 70 central schemes and 433 state schemes across 28 states in India. The report identifies scheme-based support available across six essential needs of entrepreneurs and shares some best practices implemented by state governments to improve access and uptake of schemes. Read the report for key recommendations on the design and delivery of schemes to make them more accessible and effective for women entrepreneurs.

MSC dispels some myths on the issue of high account dormancy in India compared to other countries.

Smallholder farmers face many risks from climate hazards like flooding. We identified seven factors critical to building their resilience to climate change. Strategies like emergency funds, relocation, and borrowing can help them recover quickly from disasters and prepare for the future.

The presentation presents evidence from Asia and Africa on the role of G2P in enhancing women’s economic empowerment. G2P programs have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the household and women’s agency. Governments should utilize gender-disaggregated data and remain sensitive to social norms to improve G2P policy design.

The presentation reveals evidence from India on female beneficiaries’ experience of receiving G2P (DBT) in India. Almost all women reported that G2P programs benefited both them and their households. Yet a few lacked a positive outlook on G2P transfers, as they faced hurdles when they tried to move outside their homes independently and did not have agency over the G2P payments.

Lending to cash-in cash-out (CICO) agents in developing countries remains a vastly underserved market despite its investment potential. This report focuses on the agent lending landscape in nine diverse low- and middle-income (LMIC) countries that represent mature and evolving markets to provide insights into the larger global opportunity.