ifi 2016-resource directory

Inclusive finance IndiaSUMMIT

Inclusive finance IndiaSUMMIT 2016

Inclusive Finance India Group of Advisors

Y C Nanda, Chairman, ACCESS- ASSIST (Former Chairman, NABARD)

Brij Mohan, Sector Expert (Former Executive Director, SIDBI)

Vijayalakshmi Das, Managing Director, Ananya Finance for Inclusive Growth Pvt Ltd

Ajay Tankha, Sector Expert

Amit Arora, Consultant, World Bank

Arindom Datta, Asia Head, Sustainability Banking, Rabobank

Chandni Ohri, CEO Grameen Foundation India

Frances Sinha, Managing Director, EDA Rural Systems

Girish Bhaskaran Nair, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, The World Bank Group

Jayesh Modi, Head Inclusive Banking Unit, HSBC India

Krishna Thacker, Director- Financial Empowerment (Asia), Metlife Foundation

N Srinivasan, Sector Expert

P. Satish, Executive Director, Sa- Dhan

Prakash Kumar, General Manager, SFMC, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Ragini Bajaj Chaudhary, Private Sector Development Adviser, Department for International Development (DFID)

Rahil Rangwala, Director, Family and Economic Stability, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Ratna Vishwanathan, Chief Executive Officer, Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN)

Saneesh Singh, Managing Director, DiaVikas


Welcome to the Inclusive Finance India SummitFinancial inclusion in India has never seen the attention it has received in the last two years. Ever since the announcement of the Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana in 2014, developing an ecosystem that will help in universal access to finance has remained a top priority of the current government. While under the programme, 260 million new accounts have been opened, several new entitlements have been subsequently built into the programme to benefit low income households. In the last few weeks, since the demonetization of 500 and 1,000 Rupee notes was announced, a new thrust has been given to digital payments. It is however early days to assess how and when it will start to demonstrate impact on the ground.

Not entirely fortuitous that ACCESS expanded the ambit of the Summit from a narrow focus on microfinance to a broader platform to deliberate on the issues and challenges in advancing financial inclusion. While much of the buzz in the last three weeks has been around the impact of demonetization, during the year, several important initiatives were taken. Ten licensees of Small Finance Banks and eight Payment Banks have begun to set up shop. The recent launching of Unified Payment Interface is set to see transformational impact on digitizing payments. Fintech companies including peer to peer lenders are innovating alternative credit assessments and digital lending methodologies for micro and small value loans as a potential area for growth and are expected to scale up in future. MFIs have also been testing efficiency of less cash systems for loan transactions.

With greater legitimacy and flow of funds, the MFI sector continued its growth with 84% increase in GLP over previous year, with some level of expected future uncertainty emanating from transitioning of 8 MFIs contributing to 20% portfolio to SFBs. Sustainability and financing challenges faced by small MFIs are a matter of concern in view of balanced for growth the sector. There are some concerns around high growth rates and possibility of overheating in certain pockets with a diversity of channels including MFIs, other NBFCs, BCs and SHGs lending to same clients. Meanwhile, the classical Self Help Group bank linkage model showed a modest growth of 23% in loans disbursed and there are high expectations from the SHG digitization program for bringing a new lease of life to the model.

The Inclusive Finance India Summit 2016 will look at the full diversity of initiatives, channels and policies that impact financial inclusionin India. Sessions will focus on the policy environment, transitioning of MFIs into SFBs, technological innovations in financing, potential of digitization of SHGs, transition to less cash in last mile services and gender gap in financial inclusion. Deliberations on integrating responsible finance, financial education and importance of consumer behavior will be crucial to ensure client centricity in financial inclusion.

On the occasion of the Summit, the Inclusive Finance India State of Sector Report 2016 and the Responsible Finance India Report 2016 will be released. Over a period of time, these reports have been accepted as important reference documents for tracking progress of the sector. We eagerly await feedback and reviews on this year’s reports. The 8th edition of Inclusive Finance India Awards will be presented to leading institutions and sector luminaries on Day 1 of the Summit.

We are glad that the Summit provides a platform for several stakeholders to release study reports and launch new products and tools. The 2016 Summit will also witness several thematic side events including on technology challenges for SFBs, staff training and capacity building, financial capability building, women’s financial inclusion, client level studies, financing for energy, water, sanitation and disaster risk reduction etc.

We are overwhelmed with the support from a wide of range of stakeholders, technical partners and sector leaders who contribute to the discussions across panels, and a large number of delegates who participate in the Summit each year. We appreciate the support of all the long term sponsors who continue to invest financial as well as intellectual resources in the Summit. Every year we are fortunate to welcome new sponsors and partners who come on board and hope they find value in associating with the Summit.

The Inclusive Finance India Summit 2016 secretariat at ACCESS ASSIST comprises of new and young team of motivated professionals hoping to bring together a well-organized event that delivers on the expectations of all stakeholders including a diverse set of participants, speakers and sponsors.

On behalf of ACCESS and ACCESS ASSIST, we welcome you to the 13th

Inclusive Finance India Summit and hope that the Summit will provide you the opportunity to learn, share and network!

Radhika AgasheExecutive DirectorACCESS ASSIST

Vipin SharmaChief Executive OfficerACCESS Development Services


SESSION PLAN


9.00 am – 10.00 am Inaugural10.00 am – 11.30 am Plenary 1: Two Years Hence: How Has Financial Inclusion

Advanced in India?11.30 am –1.00 pm Plenary 2: Responsible Finance: Multiple Borrowing and

Client Indebtedness 1.00 pm – 1.45 pm LUNCH1.00 pm – 2.30 pm Roundtable – Technology Imperatives For SFBs (By Invita-

tion)1.00 pm – 1.15 pm Accion Smart Campaign Certification (Lunch Area)1.15 pm – 1.30 pm Release of Study on Microfinance Client Voices (Lunch Area)1.00 pm – 2.00 pm Roundtable - The Promise of Energy Lending for MFIs1.45 pm – 3:15 pm Parallel Technical Sessions

Venue: Hall A Impact Linked Financing Models: Balancing Purpose with Profits

Venue: Hall B Small MFIs: Future Survival and Sustainability Challenges

Venue: Hall C Creating Financial Awareness of Clients: Communications Methodologies that Work

3.15 pm – 3.30 pm TEA3.15 pm – 3.30 pm Launch of G-Leap App (Lunch Area)3.30 pm – 4.45 pm Plenary 3: From MFI to Small Finance Banks: Transacting

Business Differently 4.45 pm – 5.30 pm Inclusive Finance India Awards 2016 Presentation

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Dinner Roundtable: Voices of Microfinance Clients

Day 1, December 5, 2016 (Monday)

Day 2: December 6, 2016 (Tuesday)9.15 am – 10.45 am Parallel Technical Sessions

Venue: Hall A Catalysing Small Finance: For Quality of Life Products

Venue: Hall C Agent Banking: Need for Code of Conduct?

Venue: Hall B The New IndiaStack: Its Potential for Advancing Financial Inclusion

Friendship Lounge Uptake of Digital Financial Services: Behaviour Change a Challenge

10.45 am – 11.00 am TEA11.00 am – 12.30 pm Parallel Technical Sessions

Venue: Hall B Digitization of SHGs: Will it lend a new lease of life to the movement?

Venue: Hall A Innovations in MSME Financing: Creating Credit History, a Pathway?

Venue: Hall C Inclusive Insurance: Going Beyond the Mandate?

12.30 pm – 1.15 pm LUNCH12.30 pm – 2.00 pm Roundtable - HR and Training needs of SFBs1.00 pm – 2.00 pm Roundtable - DRR Market Mapping Study for India

12.30 pm – 1.15 pm Roundtable - Big Data: Challenge or Opportunity?1.15 pm – 2.45 pm Plenary 4: By Default or Design: Demonetization Pushes for a

Less Cash Ecosystem 2.45 pm – 3.00 pm TEA3.00 pm – 4.30 pm Plenary 5: Women’s Financial Inclusion: Time to get Real

4.30 pm – 5.15 pm Valedictory


9:00 – 10:00 A.M. InauguralWelcome Address

Special Address

Release of Publications

Presentation of Highlights from

Reports

Inaugural Address

• Shri Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS Development Services

• Shri. Rajnish Kumar, Managing Director, State Bank of India

• Inclusive Finance India Report 2016• Responsible Finance India Report 2016

• Prof. M S Sriram, Visiting Faculty, Centre for Public Policy, IIM, Bangalore

• Dr. Alok Misra, Professor, Public Policy & Governance, Management Development Institute (MDI)

• Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Chairman, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

SESSION PLANDay 1 • December 5, 2016

10:00 – 11:30AM Two Years Hence: How Has Financial Inclusion Advanced in India?

PLENARY 1 It has been two years since the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Jan DhanYojana (PMJDY) which is amongst the largest financial inclusion campaigns in the world promoted by a Government agency. Although the campaign has made significant strides in enrolling of 250 Million bank accounts, and over 120 Million people have been covered under various insurance policies, whether these efforts are leading to tangible outcomes will be the focus of the discussion. The recent demonetization of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes had unexpected consequences for the PMJDY accounts as in the last two weeks the accounts have seen a surge of over Rs 21,000 Crore in deposits. The demonetization also has pushed digital financial services whether by design or default. The session will draw on the available data and research on the status of the programme from State of Sector report and assess the impact of fast changing policy announcements of the Government. The session will also delve on possible strategies that could truly start to benefit this large new section of the population that has been included into the mainstream financial system.

11:30 – 1:00 PM Responsible Finance: Multiple Borrowing and Client Indebtedness

PLENARY 2 Despite the growth of MFIs being impacted severely by the Andhra Pradesh (AP) imbroglio of 2010, microfinance sector in India is once again showing significant surge in the last 2-3 years with average growth rates of over 70% YoY. The latest data suggests overheating in a few geographies that could be attributed to multiplicity of lending by various forms of institutions (banks, MFIs, SHGs and other informal sources). The target segment for all these lenders remains broadly the same (i.e. MFI clients) and in the near future, differentiated banking channels too will partially target this segment. These multiple channels focusing on the same client may result in over-indebtedness of clients that poses a serious threat to client protection and is a considerable risk for the sector. Given these concerns, the regulatory regime needs to factor this phenomenon and consider more comprehensive guidelines. The session will assess and analyze the causes, extent and sources of client indebtedness based on the highlights of an on-going study on indebtedness commissioned by ACCESS ASSIST (under the aegis of the DFID supported PSIG Programme) and data from credit bureaus and discuss the need and significance for more comprehensive guidelines for lenders across channels.

Moderator: N Srinivasan, Sector Expert Lead Presenter: Parul Agarwal, Associate Director, IFMR Lead

Moderator: Monika Halan, Consulting Editor, Mint

Speakers:• Madnesh Mishra, Joint Secretary, Department

of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India

• Jun Zhang, Senior Country Manager, IFC, The World Bank Group

• Rajnish Kumar, Managing Director, National Banking Group, State Bank of India

• Rajiv Lall, Founder MD & CEO, IDFC Bank • Porush Singh, Country Corporate Officer &

Division President – South Asia, Mastercard



Speakers:• Prakash Bakshi, Former Chairman, NABARD• Manoj Mittal, Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI• Rajeev Ahuja, Head, Strategy, Retail and Financial

Inclusion, RBL Bank• Ratna Vishwanathan, CEO, Microfinance

Institutions Network (MFIN)• Kalpana Pandey, MD & CEO, CRIF-Highmark• Alok Misra, Professor, Public Policy &

Governance, Management Development Institute (MDI)

1.00 PM- 1.45 PM LUNCHRoundtable – Technology Imperatives For SFBs

PARALLEL TECHNICAL SESSIONS

1.45 –3.15PM Small MFIs: Future Survival and Sustainability Challenges

TECHNICAL SESSION 1

Venue: Hall B

The Microfinance landscape is undergoing an incredible transformation with one large MFI transitioning into a universal bank and 8 others readying to transition to SFBs. Coupled with this, other differentiated last mile channels such as BCs, non-MFI NBFCs, fintech based lenders too are expected to occupy the space that leads to larger competition for smaller MFIs. Investors and banks in this changing ecosystem may be more cautious and will prefer low risk models that demonstrate prudent field practices combined with strong technology backed systems. Despite common challenges like raising funds, retaining clients in the competitive market etc., there has been a considerable growth in the overall MFI sector. Appropriately, lenders are expecting better compliances, scale of operations, better systems, profitability, etc. from the MFIs. There is a need for the institutions to move beyond grant support and devise profitable business models which are suitable to local geographies. This session will aim to bring together key stakeholders to deliberate on the challenges faced by small MFIs and how they would sustain in a growing competitive market.

Moderator: Royston Braganza, CEO, Grameen Capital India


1.45 - 3.15 PM Impact Linked Financing Models: Balancing Purpose with Profits

TECHNICAL SESSION 2

Venue: Hall A

While impact financing/social investing across sectors is growing in India, there still do not exist models for structured impact linked financing through identifying, measuring and incentivizing ‘outcomes’ and ‘impact’ of social enterprises as ‘quantifiable social returns’ on investments. The session will attempt to bring together investors and donors to deliberate on evolving models of social/development impact bonds linked to tangible outcomes of the enterprise over a period of time. The effort will be a step towards getting together a coalition of like-minded investors as well as investment intermediaries and implementation partners/enterprises on outcome focused impact investment along with learning from international experiences.

Moderator: Rahil Rangwala, Director-Family Economic Stability (India), Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Discussants:• Neeraj Sharma, Managing Director and CEO,

Indian School Finance company• Drew von Glahn, Co-Founder, Third Sector

Capital• Uttam Garodia, Vice President, Public Finance,

Janalakshmi Financial Services• Katy Jones, Consultant, Social Finance

Discussants:• Nilesh Shrivastava, Manager - Financial

Institutions Portfolio¸ South Asia, IFC• Ragini Chaudhary, Private Sector Adviser, DFID, India • P Satish, Executive Director, Sa-Dhan• Tamal Bandyopadhyay, Consulting Editor, MINT• Anand Rao, MD, Chaitanya India Fin Credit • Srinivas Bonam, Head, Inclusive Banking,

IndusInd Bank• Prakash Kumar, General Manager, SFMC Vertical,

SIDBI




1.45 - 3.15 PM Creating Financial Awareness of Clients: Communications Methodologies that Work

TECHNICAL SESSION 3

Venue: Hall C

Concrete outcomes from the ambitious PMJDY and the allied insurance and pension schemes will depend on the level of financial awareness and capability of account holders. Several communication approaches have been implemented so far ranging from media campaigns, awareness camps, ‘class room style’ training modules and communication aids such as flip charts, posters, videos, games, street plays (nukkad nataks) etc. have been used with varying levels of intensity and results. Lately, technology based communication methods such as community radio, mobile based leaning apps, voice and text messaging have also being introduced. Costs, scale of outreach, profile of target groups and others such as smart phone penetration and usage etc. are important determinants in choice of communication methodology, and a combination of tools may typically be required for the desired outcomes. This session aims to evaluate the current communication methodologies in vogue and suggest communication channels that have potential to attract client interest and be delivered cost effectively at scale. Moderator: Chandni Ohri, CEO, Grameen Foundation India

Speakers:• Subrata Gupta, Chief General Manager,

Department of Financial Inclusion and Banking Technology, NABARD

• Maya Vengurlekar, Chief Operating Officer, CRISIL Foundation

• Ravi Shankar, Head, Bharat Banking, IDFC Bank • Santadarshan Sadhu, Research Scientist,

University of Chicago• Elliot Rosenberg, Vice-President, Awaaz.de• Kalpana Sankar, Chairperson and Managing

Trustee, Hand in Hand3:15 PM – 3:30 PM TEA

3:15 PM – 3:30 PM Launch of Grameen Foundation India G-Leap App

3.30 -4.45 PM From MFI to Small Finance Banks: Transacting Business Differently

PLENARY 3With ten Small Finance Banks, a new category of Financial Institutions are starting to roll out, there are new expectations of them for transacting business differently, particularly to the low income household segment. Eight of these ten SFBs have been large MFIs and will need to undergo a major transformation as they begin to undertake full-fledged banking services. While they have demonstrated great abilities in providing small ticket sized loans to poor clients, they will now be dealing with a much wider and more diverse client base; dealing in higher ticket size loans and also will handle liability products of which they have no experience. These SFBs will also need to compete with the larger and more established universal banks; the pressure of compliance will also be higher. How the MFIs will cope with this metamorphosis will be the key focus of this session.

Moderator: Rajiv Lall, Founder MD & CEO, IDFC BankChair: Anil Kumar Khachi, Additional Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Govt. of India

Speakers:• Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Founder, Managing

Director & CEO, Bandhan Bank• Samit Ghosh, Managing Director & CEO, Ujjivan

Financial Services • Alok Prasad, Sector Expert • Govind Singh, Managing Director & CEO, Utkarsh

Microfinance Limited • Sanjay Agarwal, Managing Director, AU Financiers

(India) Limited • Stephen M. Mwaniki, Regional General Manager -

Operations, Equity Bank, Tanzania




4.45 -5.30 PM Inclusive Finance India Awards 2016 – Presentation Ceremony

• Y C Nanda, Chairman, ACCESS ASSIST (Former Chairman, NABARD)

• Stuart P Milne, Group General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, HSBC India

• Dr Marshall Elliott, CBE, Minister (Development) and Head of DFID India

• G R Chintala, Chief General Manager, Micro Credit Innovations Department, NABARD

• Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS Development Services

Guest of Honour: • Shri Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI

Aayog

6:00 – 7:30 PM Dinner Roundtable: Voices of Microfinance Clients

SESSION PLANDay 2• December 5, 2016

9.15 – 10.45 AM Catalysing Small Finance: For Quality of Life Products

TECHNICAL SESSION 4

Venue: Hall A

Poverty is often defined by uni-dimensional measures, most commonly income. There are however several other factors such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standard, dis-empowerment and poor quality of work. Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals – specifically Number 3 – Good Health and Well Being for all at all ages; Number 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation for all and Number 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy for all, needs multi-pronged strategy that prominently addresses issues of low cost technology solutions, building awareness and availability of funding, among others. However, both globally and in India, the progress so far has been dismal. The potential of microfinance for providing specialized financing for improved access to better quality of life through water, sanitation, energy for lighting, cooking etc. is high and some products have been developed and rolled out by MFIs, with support from investors and donors. The session will review the current approaches, discuss challenges and lessons learnt, and the way forward for scaling up.

Moderator: Prof. Malcolm Harper, Emeritus Professor of Enterprise Development, Cranfield School of Management, UK

Speakers:• Vijayalakshmi Das, Managing Director, Ananya

Finance for Inclusive Growth• Ben Mathew, Sales Director Asia , Greenlight

Planet• Paul Thomas, Managing Director, ESAF

Microfinance and Investments (P) Ltd• Deepak Saksena, Head Partnerships, Water

Business, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL)• Nicola Armacost, Managing Director, Arc Finance

9.15 – 10.45 AM Agent Banking: Need for Code of Conduct?

TECHNICAL SESSION 5

Venue: Hall C

Since its introduction by RBI in 2006, the Business Correspondent (BC) model has evolved immensely to provide core financial services to unbanked/underserved regions through various models of Agent Banking. Currently, over 1.2 lakh Bank Mitras are operating on behalf of PSU/Private sector banks. In addition, the last 2 to 3 years has witnessed a huge traction in credit services provided by MFIs, credit-led



BCs and corporates and it is estimated that 15% of overall credit is provided to low-income groups through this agent banking channel and the model is expected to clock higher growth rates in the coming year. While the model is thriving and has been able to address the access issue to the last mile to some extent, most of the Bank Mitras/CSPs belong to the local community, have limited educational qualification and may not be fully equipped to responsibly deliver services to low-income vulnerable groups leading to distress. The session will deliberate on the need for a standard Code of Conduct for BCs – for both network managers and BMs/CSPs to bring in greater transparency, improve service quality, and address various tenets of client protection.

Moderator: Manoj Sharma, Managing Director-Asia, MicroSave

Speakers:• J K Thakar, General Manager (Outreach), State

Bank of India • Ajay Desai, Senior President and Chief Financial

Inclusion Officer, Yes Bank Limited• Anand Shrivastav, Chairman, Business

Correspondent Federation of India (BCFI)• Sasidhar Thumuluri, Chief Operating Officer,

BASIX Sub-KiTransactions• Hema Bansal, Director, South Asia and South East

Asia, ACCION SMART Campaign• Radhika Agashe, Executive Director, ACCESS

ASSIST

9.15 – 10.45 AM The New IndiaStack: Its Potential for Advancing Financial Inclusion

TECHNICAL SESSION 6

Venue: Hall B

The IndiaStack collectively covers specific Application Programming Interface (APIs) that allow governments and businesses to utilize and deliver key services to citizens of the country. These APIs have been developed by various organizations over the last 7 years, starting with Aadhaar, which launched an authentication API in 2010. This session aims to focus on how different pieces of the IndiaStack work and highlight the new set of capabilities that could change financial inclusion moving forward. The session covers two key aspects; the first is to more sharply define the key elements of India Stack. This includes key functionality already available: identification, payments interconnections and digital records, and an additional element that is nearly available: data consent. The second part of the panel will probe how these new capabilities might affect financial inclusion. How could they extend the reach?


Moderator: Greg Chen, Lead Asia, CGAP

Speakers:• Peeyush Kumar, Joint Secretary, DBT Mission,

Govt. of India• Dilip Asbe, Chief Operating Officer, National

Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)• Anuradha Ramachandran, Director, Investments,

Omidyar Network • Sahil Kini, Volunteer, ISpirit• P N Vasudevan, Managing Director, Equitas

Holdings Limited• Krishnan Dharmarajan, Executive Director, Centre

for Digital Financial Inclusion (CDFI)

9.15 – 10.45 AM Uptake of Digital Financial Services: Behaviour Change a Challenge

TECHNICAL SESSION 7

Venue: Friendship Lounge

A growing body of evidence shows that insights from behavioral science can help financial service providers improve the design and effectiveness of products and services—from loan repayment to usage of savings accounts to uptake of the products and services themselves. This is because behavioral models enhance the traditional economic models used throughout the product development process, accounting for a myriad of psychological and contextual factors that can promote better decisions and actions on the part of users. But which insights will be most effective when it comes to getting consumers to save more, improve loan repayment, or take up insurance products? This session will cover key applications of behavioral science in financial inclusion and detail how organizations might apply and rigorously test these ideas throughout the product development process.

Moderator: Rafael Mazer, Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP

Lead Presenter: Saugato Datta, Managing Director, ideas42

Speakers:• Elisabeth Rhyne, Managing Director, Centre for

Financial Inclusion, ACCION• Preeti Telang, Chief Executive Officer, Swadhaar

FinAccess• S Anand, EVP & Business Head, EKO India

Financial Services• Badal Malick, Chief Executive Officer, Catalyst:

Inclusive Cashless Payment Partnership



10.45 – 11.00 AM TEA

11.00 AM– 12.30 PM Digitization of SHGs: Will it Lend a New Lease of Life to the Movement?

Technical Session 8

Venue: Hall B

The Self Help Group Bank Linkage Programme (SBLP) has been a spectacular success over the last two decades, given its phenomenal growth and evolution; and its on-going evolution from a tool of social engineering to a plain linkage programme to become a vehicle for creation of livelihoods in rural areas. However, the programme is still challenged in terms of attracting big ticket finance due to paucity of credible financial histories of these groups.Further, there is a need to develop a transparent digital platform that will help to record the transactions among these groups and generate a credible data base to catapult them to the next level of financial linkages. ‘EShakti’, the digitization programme of NABARD aims to fill this shortcoming and re-launch the programme in alignment with new generation requirements. Digitization is expected to be a game changer in interlinking SHGs with other players and systems like e-wallets, banking payment systems etc. It will help save time, bring ease of documentation and encourage banks to lend more to this important segment comprising 100 million rural households in the country. The session delves on key contributors and factors that will revitalize the movement.

Moderator: Girija Srinivasan, Sector Expert

Speakers:• G R Chintala, Chief General Manager, Micro Credit

Innovations Department, NABARD• Atal Dulloo, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural

Development, Government of India• Alok Misra, Professor, Public Policy & Governance,

Management Development Institute (MDI)• Sarat Yadav, AGM - Rural & Inclusive Banking,

ICICI Bank • B S Gupta, Secretary, SUPPORT


11.00 – 12.30 PM Innovations in MSME Financing: Creating Credit History, a Pathway?

TECHNICAL SESSION 9

Venue: Hall A

MSME sector plays a vital role for the growth of Indian economy by contributing 45% of industrial output, 40% of exports, employing 60 million people, creating 1.3 million jobs every year and produce more than 8000 quality products for the Indian and international markets. Over the years access to formal finance has been a challenge to MSME sector, although a segment within the priority sector, most banks are reluctant to finance millions of microenterprises as they do not have financial track records and lack credit history. However, they contribute 50% of the GDP, which is a significant percentage without the support of enabling environment. While efforts by MUDRA scheme is stimulating the space, a range of innovative technology led non-traditional models are evolving for credit scoring, appraisal and delivery of credit to microenterprises those are making way to revitalize the sector. The session will focus on the innovative strides made by these Fintech Companies and deliberate on future potential of these various models.

Moderator: Smita Aggarwal, Director, Investments, Omidyar Network

Discussants:• Jiji Mammen, Chief Executive Officer, MUDRA

Bank • Pankaj Jain, Joint Secretary, Department of

Financial Services, Government of India*• P K Khaitan, Founder & CEO, Neogrowth• Alok Mittal, Founder & CEO, Indifi• Richard Eldridge, Founder & CEO, Lenddo• Abhishek Agarwal, Chief Regional Officer, Accion

India



11.00 –12.30 PM Inclusive Insurance: Going Beyond the Mandate?

TECHNICAL SESSION 10

Venue: Hall C

The micro-insurance space has witnessed some traction with the enrolment of 12 Cr plus policies under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti BimaYojana (PMJJBY) schemes. However, the annual renewals of these policies may be a challenge to sustain in the long term. In addition, there are several micro-insurance products offered by insurance service providers. Despite several efforts, rural India still faces poor insurance awareness and records low penetration and majority of low-income population remain uncovered or under-insured due to both demand/supply side issues. The session aims to track the future landscape for inclusive insurance services through various delivery models going beyond the mandate.

Moderator: Amit Arora, Consultant, The World Bank Group

Speakers:• David M. Dror, Chairman & Managing Director,

Micro Insurance Academy (MIA)• Sanjeev Mantri, Executive Director, ICICI Lombard

General Insurance Co. Ltd.• Khalid Ahmad, Head Product Management, PNB

MetLife India Insurance Company Limited• Neeraj Maheshwari, Senior Vice President, DHFL –

Pramerica• Ayandev Saha, General Manager, K. M. Dastur

Reinsurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd


12:30 – 1:15 PM LUNCH

1:15 PM – 2:45 PM

By Default or Design: Demonetization Pushes for a Less Cash Ecosystem

PLENARY 4 In quick response to the on-going troubles and travails of people after demonetization, the Government has announced setting up of a Committee under the NITI Aayog to identify all possible modes of digital payments across sectors as it pushes on with its drive towards a cashless economy. While the campaign for Digital India has already been a top priority, this new emergent situation has spurred speedier activity towards a less cash ecosystem. With more than 1 million mobile phone subscribers, new Payment Banks rolling out, several banks introducing their wallets, fintechs becoming popular, large number of transactions between banks and non-banks already happening through the IMPS switch, UPI gateway being launched, a huge opportunity has been created to witness a revolution in the Digital Financial Services space. This session will understand and assess all these factors and conditions and also challenges for greater inclusion of low income households within this less cash ecosystem. Moderator: Vijay Mahajan, Founder, BASIX Group Speakers:• Chandan Sinha, Executive Director, Reserve Bank

of India (RBI)• A P Hota, Managing Director and CEO, National

Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)• Tara Nathan, Executive Vice President, Public

Private Partnerships, Mastercard• Pawan Bakhshi, Country Lead – Financial Services

for the Poor, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation• Madhur Deora, Chief Financial Officer & Senior

Vice President, Paytm• Dianne Rajaratnam, Asia Pacific Regional Lead,

The Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA), United Nations

2.45 - 3.00 PM TEA


3.00 - 4.30 PM Women’s Financial Inclusion: Time to get Real

PLENARY 5 With exciting new developments in financial inclusion – the launch of Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana, under which 250 million bank accounts have been opened, MFIs transforming into Small Finance Banks, new Payment Banks rolling out and a strong push for digital payments– this is the right time to reflect and assess on the new opportunities there are for women in this financial inclusion scheme of things and what this means for building women’s financial inclusion in future. Data and field studies reveal that there are barriers on both the supply and the demand side that impede greater integration of women in the financial inclusion initiatives of the government and of other stakeholders. The session will discuss appropriate strategies that bring a gender focus within these Financial Inclusion initiatives. Key questions will be posed on what is really working for women, what is not? Where is the data? And, what have we learnt from different fields of development that are working with women? What difference does it make if women can be engaged in service delivery – and how to make that happen? Is there a business case? Overall, what are the effective strategies – given the diversity in different regions of the country, as well as the underlying patriarchy with men as heads of household, main earners and decision makers and dominating the delivery system?

Moderator: Frances Sinha, Director, M-CRIL/EDA Rural Systems

Speakers:• Roopa Kudva, Partner, Omidyar Network & MD,

Omidyar Network India Advisors• Meera Sanyal, National Executive Member, AAP &

Former Chairperson, RBS India• Karen Miller, Chief Knowledge & Communications

Officer, Women’s World Banking• Jayshree Vyas, Managing Director, SEWA Bank• Shamika Ravi, Senior Fellow, Brookings India

4.30 - 5.15pm Valedictory• Y C Nanda, Chairman, ACCESS ASSIST (Former

Chairman, NABARD)• Prof. Malcolm Harper, Emeritus Professor of

Enterprise Development, Cranfield School of Management, UK

• Anjuly Chib Duggal, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Govt. of India*

* to be confirmed


ASSOCIATED EVENTS


The Inclusive Finance India Awards (earlier known as the Microfinance India Awards ) have evolved significantly, aligning to the changing landscape of the industry. While the impulse to establish the Awards was to felicitate leaders in the microfinance sector, who despite odds and indefatigable efforts, were

able to help the growth of the channel and thereby providing it the due legitimacy as a way to reach the poor underserved clients.

Given that over a period of time the emphasis on financial inclusion has gained ground in the country, and successive governments have retained it as an important national priority, there was a need to align the Award categories to these shifts in policy priorities. Appropriately, now thereare six categories of the Awards that recognize MFIs, SHPIs, Enabling Institutions, Enabling Individual for Life Time contribution to the Sector and Award for Best Performing Regional Rural Bank.

Awards will be presented for these categories

A. Inclusive Finance India Microfinance Organization (MFO) of the Year Award

The Award seeks to recognize pioneering thought, product leadership and best practices followed by an institution. Representative parameters for corporate governance, business control and compliance (including client protection), business performance, social performance and process/ product/ technological innovation towards achieving financial inclusion are some of the important considerations. We have two sub-categories within this institutional category to provide sufficient representation to Microfinance Organizations (MFOs) with varying portfolio size and outreach. It will be presented to outstanding institutions that have ensured effective and efficient delivery of financial services to its client segment. Under this, following are the categories:

a. Inclusive Finance India MFO Award for Large Organization This award seeks to recognize industry leaders and award will honour an MFO with GLP > 400 Crores, which has stood the test of time, has combined growth with effective and efficient delivery of responsible microfinance services.

b. Inclusive Finance India MFO Award for Small & Medium Organization This award aims to recognize and encourage smaller and upcoming MFOs with GLP < 400 Crores who have demonstrated the potential for growth and have exhibited the ability to establish strong processes along with efficient operations.

Inclusive Finance

IndiaAWARDS

Supported by

Inclusive Finance India Awards 2016


Technical PartnersSHG Promotional

Grants Provided by

B. Inclusive Finance India Self Help Group Promoting Institution Award This category will recognize institutions involved in promoting Self Help Groups (SHGs) as well as SHG federations. This year the award under the SHPI category was open only to nominations from registered NGOs and SHG Federations. The SHG Promoting Institutions were judged on parameters of composition of board and governance, funding source and bank linkage, MIS, financial services, outcomes, impact, systems and processes in place for SHG promotion and mentoring. Government SHG Promoting agencies/ programmes were not eligible to apply. Under this, the awards will be given to following two categories:

a. Large SHPI of the Year – No. of Groups promoted greater than 3000

b. Small and Medium SHPI of the Year- No. of Groups promoted between 300 and 5000

C. Award for Best Performance of Regional Rural Bank for SHG Lending

This new Award category, introduced in partnership with Micro Credit Innovations Department (MCID), NABARD, recognizes a Regional Rural Bank (RRB) for their performance in bank linkage of SHGs. The performance parameters include number of SHGs credit linked, quantum of loans disbursed to the groups, repayment rate and repeat loans to groups.

D. Inclusive Finance India Contribution to the Sector by an Enabling Institution

Award under this category will recognize the efforts of support institutions, such as private investors, industry associations, technical service providers, rating agencies, research agencies, and lenders. In previous years, SHPIs were part of this category which has been moved to separate category.

E. Inclusive Finance India Contribution to the Sector by an Individual- Lifetime Achievement Award

This is designed as a lifetime achievement award to honour significant contribution of an individual towards sector building, influencing policy at the highest level, and representation in national/international forums.

F. Special Jury Award

This is a jury nominated category to honour luminaries credited with bringing global recognition and repute to the microfinance sector through their pioneering efforts.

Summit 2016

The Livelihoods Asia Summit is an annual event of two days, wherein deliberation and debates around the need for composite and durable solutionsin livelihoods promotion are discussed. This year, the Livelihoods Asia Summit is being organized between December

7-8 at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi. Through its sessions, the Summit will explore the determinants of scale in livelihoods promotion by looking at various approaches adopted by different actors. Strategies for creating vibrant and scaled-up livelihoods promotion models and experiences of scaling up these efforts will also be discussed at the Summit. A diverse set of stakeholders including government representatives, policy makers, practitioners and academicians are invited to share their experiences, build consensus and define road map and strategies for enabling sustainable livelihoods for the poor.

Day 1, December 7th 2016, (Wednesday)

9:15 am – 10:15 a.m. InauguralRelease of State of India’s Livelihoods (SOIL)

Report 2016

10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Sustainable Development Goals – Achieving Inclusive and Equitable Growth

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Networking Break

12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Doubling Farmers Income by 2022 – The Feasibility of Meeting this Critical Challenge

1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Networking Break

2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Youth in Agriculture New Generation Agri-preneurs

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Networking Break

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Inclusive Value Chains – Developing Models of Distribu-tive Justice

Day 2, December 8th 2016, (Thursday)

9:30 to 10:45 am Revitalising the Handloom Sector – Creating an Enabling Environment

10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Networking Break

11:15 to 12:45 pm Technology Led Skill Development

12:45 pm to 1:30 pm Networking Break

1:30 pm to 2:45 pm

2:45 pm to 3:15 pm Networking Break

3:15 pm to 4:30pm Corporate Social Responsibility – Mutually Reinforcing Partnerships on Ground

4:30 pm to 5:30 pm Valedictory Session Release of Sitaram Rao Livelihoods Asia Case Study Com-

pendium and Felicitation of Winners

Session Plan

Livelihoods Asia Summit 2016

Towards Climate Resilient Agriculture in South Asia

Rethinking Cooperation Financing Climate Change

Self-Employment: Augmenting Opportunities for Livelihoods


Roundtable on Small Finance Banks Harbingers of New HopeTechnology Imperatives for Advancing Financial Inclusion

Small Finance Banks (SFBs) will be a game changer in the financial ecosystem in India. Technology should be a key focus area for SFBs. Payments technology firms partnering with SFBs can deliver win – win outcomes for both. SFBs have existing pools of customers- individual consumers & small businesses - who can be provided access to world class payments solutions. Beyond core payments, SFBs will also be able to leverage value added services (VAS) in the areas of Safety & Security, Transaction Processing, Consulting, Analytics and Managed Services, Loyalty and Engagement. These VAS can be made available to SFBs on a plug n play basis- cost effective, timely & reliable & scalable. Local innovation will be key in meeting needs of the emerging/ less served consumers in India.

It is indeed an interesting time to be in the financial inclusion market in India. The performance of the Small Finance Banks in the next five years will, in a way, determine the path that the microfinance sector will take. At the same time, the Indian microfinance market has enough to offer to those MFIs who missed the opportunity this time around – particularly in the short-term.With the above background, this lunch roundtable discussion attempts to explore themes in the multiple areas of partnership and collaboration that can be built in between payment technology companies and small finance banks, to enable last mile financial inclusion in India

(By Invitation Only)

ACCION Smart Campaign Certification CeremonyDecember 5, 2016 01:00 – 01:15 pmVenue: Lunch Area, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

The Smart Campaign will publicly recognize five Indian Financial Institutions (FIs) that achieved Smart Certification in 2016. We have three new FIs that have been Smart Certified are Annapurna, Satin Credit Care and Fusion. Ujjivan and Cashpor are the two FIs, to be Smart Certified in 2013 and this year in 2016, they completed their check – ins successfully.

Each of the FIs will be awarded the Smart Certificate by a panel of distinguished guests during the conference lunch break on Monday, December 5, 2016. All conference attendees are cordially invited. Smart Certification is an independent, third-party evaluation that publicly recognizes financial institutions that meet high standards of care in how they treat clients. Till date, about 70 plus financial institutions worldwide have been Smart Certified; collectively, they serve more than 35 million clients.

December 5, 201601:00 - 02:30 pmVenue: The Oudh, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

Release of Study on Microfinance Client VoicesDecember 5, 2016 Time: 01:15 - 01:30 pmVenue: Lunch Area Launch Pad, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

In order to strengthen responsible finance practices and initiatives, ACCESS ASSIST, under PSIG Programme, supported by UK Government’s DFID and implemented by SIDBI commissioned a nation-wide study on “Voices of Microfinance Clients: A Study of Microfinance Clients Concerns, Perceptions and Delights”. The study has been carried out over the past few months across 5 states in India and the study report will be formally released as part of the Inclusive Finance India Summit 2016

Voices of Microfinance ClientsStudy Report Dissemination Roundtable

December 5, 2016 Time: 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Venue: Friendship Lounge, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

ACCESS ASSIST, under the PSIG Programme, supported by UK Government’s DFID and implemented by SIDBI commissioned a nation-wide study on “Voices of Microfinance Clients” to highlight the MFI clients’ good and bad experiences, their concerns and delights in dealing with the MFIs. This study was carried out in technical partnership with ACCION’s SMART Campaign and the field research was conducted by M2i Consulting.

The dissemination roundtable will focus on the following:• Deliberation on major findings (VOICES) of Microfinance Clients • Leveraging the study findings as inputs for policy formulations • Keys take aways from the discussions and way forward

(By Invitation)

Lunch Roundtable Discussion on HR and Training needs of Small Finance BanksDecember 6, 2016 Time: 1:00 pm- 2:00 pm Venue: The Oudh, Hotel Ashok, New Delhi

PSIG programme has been continuously supporting SFBs by providing grant assistance to 6 MFIs out of which 4 received the SFB licence. The major challenge faced by SFBs is procuring and training of human resource. As far as banking operations are concerned, these SFBs face setback due to delayed procurement of trained human resource. Thus, PSIG endeavours to address this challenge of SFBs viz., procurement of trained manpower and strengthening of their human resources to facilitate their effective functioning to achieve the ultimate goal of financial inclusion. Given the context, this lunch roundtable is organized with IIBF, SFBs, sector experts to deliberate on the HR and training needs of the SFBs and come up with effective solutions

Under the Aegis of the Poorest States Inclusive Growth (PSIG) Programme


Launch of Grameen Foundation India (GFI) E-Mobile Learning App: G-LEAP

December 5, 201603:15 -03:30 pmVenue: Lunch Area Launch Pad, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

G-LEAP is a mobile-learning solution for field officers to ensure that they are adequately trained and equipped to increase financial capabilities of the ultimate beneficiaries.

With classroom training, challenges such as lack of structured facilitation, consistent delivery, robust instructional design and convenient reference material are common. G-LEAP is a solution which may serve as job aid for field officers while they learn on the job and help reduce errors in work processes thereby increasing their overall productivity.

The Promise of Energy Lending for MFIs in IndiaDecember 5, 20161:00 - 2:00 pmVenue: Friendship Lounge, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

Leading Indian MFI practitioners will describe their journey into energy lending in partnership with Arc Finance under the USAID funded REMMP and PACE-D initiatives. The MFI leaders will touch on both the challenges and the opportunities they faced and the strategic choices they made along the way. Any MFIs interested in energy lending are welcome to attend.

Tackling the Tough Questions and Seeing the Opportunities: What’s Next to Address Women’s Financial InclusionDecember 6, 201608:00 -10:00 amVenue: Room No.292, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

In conjunction with the Inclusive Finance India Summit we will be hosting a special breakfast event that will address some of the most difficult questions surrounding women’s financial inclusion. Join us for a lively panel discussion and engaging brainstorm. For those who want to learn more about targeting the women’s market, this session is for you.

Partnering MFIs to Enhance Access to Water and Sanitation Facilities - Potential to Contribute to Swachh Bharat Mission

December 6, 2016 08:00 -10:30 am Venue: Room No. 294, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

India Sanitation Coalition (ISC) and its partner Water.org present a session on engaging microfinance institutions (MFI) to strengthen financial inclusion in the sanitation space. The session aims to reach out to approximately fifty participants. The panel comprises of senior-level representation from government, implementing organizations, sector and supply chain experts, and MFIs. The session will cover current approaches, programs and the challenges faced in sanitation financing. The roadmap ahead will involve providing mentoring opportunities on implementing successful models, through the expertise and experience of ISC members.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Market Mapping Study for India

December 6, 201612:30 - 1:30 pmVenue: Room No.292, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

Experience has shown that financial institutions serving at-risk populations are as vulnerable as their clients to disasters and crises and that institutional resiliency is a foundational precursor for client resiliency. This discussion will feature the results of a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Mapping study recently conducted by IFMR, which examines the current state of practice the institutional and client contexts surrounding disaster risk, preparedness, and response. The study will present the current level of awareness about DRR, as well as opportunities and barriers for mainstreaming DRR into business practices of financial service providers.

This discussion, led by Sa-Dhan, aims to understand the challenges in this area and how it can concretely support its members in strengthening their institutional resiliency.


BIG Data: Challenge or Opportunity?

December 6, 201612.30 - 1.15 pmVenue: Friendship Lounge, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

Amy Jensen Mowl, CFI Fellow and financial inclusion specialist at the IFMR Finance Foundation, and M. S. Sriram, financial inclusion Professor and scholar, host a conversation with experts in digital finance, law and policy. The discussion will consider challenges and opportunities associated with the financial industry’s use of alternative data and new analytics in the digital credit space.

Across the globe, many legal, technology and policy scholars have begun to re-examine the assumptions used to support the widespread efforts to evangelize digital credit initiatives. Recent high- profile cases and identity theft, consumer profiling, and credit bureau harm have highlighted the risks of assuming that high- interest, high-cost consumer credit will necessarily improve on existing efforts to improve access to credit among underbanked households.

This conversation will discuss recommendations for four key stakeholder groups- proponents of big data, donors, investors and Indian regulators- to pursue fairer and more inclusive credit reporting as India moves into a more digital future.

( By Invitation Only)

Customer Experience in a Box

December 6, 201606:00 -07:30 pmVenue: Room No.294, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi

Account dormancy rates in India were estimated to be as high as 43% according to Findex 2014 published by the World Bank. Efforts such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, and direct benefit transfers amongst others, have reduced this gap during 2014-16. Despite these initiatives, the gap continues to persist. CGAP believes that a focus on the customer can benefit both the customer and business; a belief that is strongly held by several financial service providers.

The aim of this session titled ‘Customer experience in a Box’, is to equip financial service providers with tools to create a positive customer experience, which benefits business as well. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a set of tools that can be applied on a daily basis.Join us for an interactive session on using the customer experience toolkit developed by CGAP.

Facilitators: Jayshree Venkatesan (CGAP) and Saranya Thiagarajan (Janalakshmi Financial Services)

The Financially Capable India Workshop December 7, 201609:00 - 03:30 pmVenue: Le Meridien, 8 Windsor Palace, Janpath, New Delhi

Do you want to enhance the confidence of your customers to use digital channels?

Have you ever wondered how to identify a teachable moment in customer interactions?

What can possibly help customers retain financial concepts? Financially Capable India is a consortium of financial service providers, technology companies, investors and other stakeholders who are looking to bridge the gap between access and usage of financial services by sharing, catalysing, innovating and scaling initiatives of financial capability. The Financially Capable India platform is an outcome of a landscape study in financial capability across India and Mexico, sponsored by J. P. Morgan Chase and conducted by the Center for Financial Inclusion at ACCION.

Research Reports Release & Discussion

• Savings, Borrowings and Remittance Behavior of Migrant Workers in Urban India

• Chit Fund Participation and Sources of Economic Value

Date: December 5, 2016Time: 6.00 – 7.30 pmVenue: Room 292, The Hotel Ashok, New Delhi

Two important financial services behavioral research studies conducted by IIM-A with support from Citi Foundation will be released on the sideline of the Summit. While one study examines whether financial inclusion has resulted in transaction through the banking system by investigating the savings, borrowings and remittance behavior of migrant workers in urban India, the other examines the economic motivation behind the widespread participation in chit funds in India, among households which have access to the formal financial sector along with the socio-economic and other determinants of the extent of the participation. The release event will share the key findings of the research studies followed by open-house questions, discussion and feedback.


PUBLICATIONS


ACCESS Knowledge Series

Inclusive Finance India Report 2016 provides in-depth, well-researched, and well-analyzed evidence on how the financial inclusion agenda has progressed at various levels. The report covers a review of the performance of diverse institutional initiatives working in inclusive finance—banks, specialized banks, self-help groups, and microfinance institutions. It also covers the initiatives in technology that address last-mile delivery as well as provides an overview of new initiatives.

The report focuses on a larger landscape of financial inclusion while continuing to report progress on microfinance in mainstream financial inclusion activity. It tracks the growth of financial inclusion across institutional structures and delivery models, provides a better understanding of the complexities of the sector, contributes and informs the policy development process on inclusive finance. It also informs banks and investors, both national and international; highlights key issues that require the attention of the financial sector and policymakers; highlights the positive impact of the sector; and identifies policy and practice gaps on an annual basis. The report involves participation by the RBI, Ministry of Finance, banks, apex financial institutions, technology service providers, business correspondents, and diverse delivery models.

This is the best reference book on the annual trends and progress of the financial inclusion and microfinance sector. It includes data-based analysis of all streams of financial inclusion with the most current information in terms of numbers and developments and is a must read for every practitioner in the financial inclusion value chain. Responsible Finance India Report 2016 is the sixth annual report that provides an account of developments in responsible finance and social performance in microfinance and financial inclusion in India. The report captures the essence of policy, strategy, and practice elements of social/responsible performance of the sector catering to the poor and the excluded. The report analyzes the current state of policy and performance of different channels on the globally accepted standards of responsible finance. It assesses the existing practices and products and also documents the new initiatives to present a holistic analysis of the current state of the sector. The report also highlights the role of policy, including lenders and investors, in shaping the agenda of responsible inclusive finance and the need for their proactive role in institutionalizing responsible finance practices. Going beyond assessment of current performance of policy and practice, the report identifies emerging risks to

Responsible Finance India Report is the sixth annual report that provides an account of developments in responsible finance and social performance in microfinance and financial inclusion in India. The report captures the essence of policy, strategy, and practice elements of social/responsible performance of the sector catering to the poor and the excluded. The report analyzes the current state of policy and performance of different channels on the globally accepted standards of responsible finance. It assesses the existing practices and products and also documents the new initiatives to present a holistic analysis of the current state of the sector. The report also highlights the role of policy, including lenders and investors, in shaping the agenda of responsible inclusive finance and the need for their proactive role in institutionalizing responsible finance practices. Going beyond assessment of current performance of policy and practice, the report identifies emerging risks to client-centricity and customer protection and suggests action for policy as well as institutions to strengthen the state of responsible finance for the excluded and the poor in India. The focus of the report is on capturing sector-wide trends rather than on individual performances.

Alok Misra is currently a professor in the public policy and governance area at Management Development Institute, Gurgaon. He holds a doctorate in Development Studies from Victoria University, Melbourne, and a Masters in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management, Manila. He has been trained at the Harvard Business School in “Strategic leadership for Microfinance” and has been a fellow, Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion at Tufts University, Massachusetts.

Responsible Finance India R

eport 2016

ISBN 978-93-860-6220-8` 995

9 789386 062208

Responsible Finance India Report 2016

Client First: Tracking Social Performance Practices

An ACCESS Publication

Alok Misra

Misra

Inclusive Finance India Report 2016 provides in-depth, well-researched, and well-analyzed evidence on how the financial inclusion agenda has progressed at various levels.

The report covers a review of the performance of diverse institutional initiatives working in inclusive finance—banks, specialized banks, self-help groups, and microfinance institutions. It also covers the initiatives in technology that address last-mile delivery as well as provides an overview of new initiatives.

The report focuses on a larger landscape of financial inclusion while continuing to report progress on microfinance in mainstream financial inclusion activity. It tracks the growth of financial inclusion across institutional structures and delivery models, provides a better understanding of the complexities of the sector, and contributes and informs the policy development process on inclusive finance. It also informs banks and investors, both national and international; highlights key issues that require the attention of the financial sector and policymakers; highlights the positive impact of the sector; and identifies policy and practice gaps on an annual basis. The report involves participation by the RBI, Ministry of Finance, banks, apex financial institutions, technology service providers, business correspondents, and diverse delivery models.

This is the best reference book on the annual trends and progress of the financial inclusion and microfinance sector. It includes data-based analysis of all streams of financial inclusion with the most current information in terms of numbers and developments and is a must read for every practitioner in the financial inclusion value chain.

M.S. Sriram is a faculty at the Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB). He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Development of Research in Banking Technology set up by the RBI. Previously he was the ICICI Bank Lalita Gupte Chair Professor of Microfinance and Chairperson of the finance and accounting area at IIM Ahmedabad. He has been a faculty at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand and Vice President (Finance and Information) at BASIX. He has also taught at IIM Udaipur, Solvay Brussels School of Business and Economics, Brussels, and the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.

Inclusive Finance India Report 2016

An ACCESS Publication

Inclusive Finance India Report 2016

M S Sriram

Sriram

ISBN 978-93-860-6219-2` 995

9 789386 062192

Supported under FIFManaged by NABARD


client-centricity and customer protection and suggests action for policy as well as institutions to strengthen the state of responsible finance for the excluded and the poor in India. The focus of the report is on capturing sector-wide trends rather than on individual performances.

State of India’s Livelihoods Report (SOIL Report) State of India’s Livelihoods (SOIL) Report is an annual publication that addresses contemporary issues in the livelihoods sector. It is the only document that aggregates the experiences and challenges of the sector, analyses case studies and reports on progress of both government and privately run program.This volume of the report continues to carry an overview of the livelihoods situation from the macro viewpoint, an update on the policies, legal and fiscal framework for livelihoods and a review of important government programs, as in the last year. It also covers some new and topical themes such as the likely effects of climate change in India with a focus on agriculture and a deep dive into handloom sector to look at the production and employment trends in the sector, the current government’s initiatives and challenges for marketing of handloom products. The decade long employment guarantee program National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) has been taken up for a detailed review. The report analyses the current opportunities and challenges for the people in the Northeast in various sectors such as agriculture, sericulture, livestock, forestry, arts and crafts, and tourism. Financing of livelihoods is also covered in the report. A concluding chapter summarizes the key challenges for livelihoods of the poor in the future.

Sitaram Rao Livelihoods Asia Case Study Compendium Dedicated to Late Sitaram Rao, mentor and guru of Indian microfinance and livelihoods movement, the Case Study Competition seeks to compile best practices, breakthroughs on the ground, sectoral innovations and efforts that have helped the poor to move from subsistence to sustainable levels of livelihoods. The Compendium which is a part of the Knowledge Series is envisaged to inform and influence practitioners, promoters and policy makers supporting livelihoods promotion. The theme for the Sitaram Rao Livelihoods Asia Case Study Competition 2016 was‘Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture’. The Case Study Compendium covers cases from across the region thatprovides evidence of sustainable approaches to agriculture. The cases cover themes of Sustainable Production of Crop, Livestock and Aquatic Animals, Organic Farming Systems, Food Safety and Agricultural Standards, Sustainable Management of Agricultural Land and Water Resources and Environment, Agroforestry, Water and Soil Conservation, Urban Farming and Preserving Bio-diversity and Indigenous Breeds.

How to order ?Please contact SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd.B-1/I-1, Mohan CooperativeIndustrial Estate, Mathura Road, Post Bag 7, New Delhi 110 044, India,T: +91 (11) 4053 9222, www.sagepub.in, [email protected]

State of India’s Livelihoods Report 2016An ACCESS Publication Girija Srinivasan | Narasimhan Srinivasan

State of India’s Livelihoods Report 2016Srinivasan | Srinivasan

ISBN 978-93-860-6223-9` 1250

9 789386 062239


State of India’s Livelihoods Report is an annual publication that addresses contemporary issues in the livelihoods sector. It is the only document that aggregates the experiences and challenges of the sector, analyzes case studies, and reports progress of both government and privately run programs.

This volume provides an overview of the livelihoods situation from a macro viewpoint and includes an update on the policies, financing, and legal and fiscal framework for livelihoods. It also provides a review of important government programs in the past year. Apart from this, the report covers some new and topical themes such as the likely effects of climate change in India with a focus on agriculture, and delves into the handloom sector to look at the production and employment trends in the sector and the current government’s initiatives and challenges in the marketing of handloom products. Further, the report analyzes the current opportunities and challenges for people in the Northeast in various sectors such as agriculture, sericulture, livestock, forestry, arts and crafts, and tourism. A concluding chapter summarizes the key challenges for livelihoods of the poor in the future.

Girija Srinivasan is an expert in development finance and rural livelihoods with extensive international experience in consulting, technical assistance, and studies. A development banker for 12 years, she has written documents and books on community-based approaches in finance livelihoods and microfinance. She has authored the Microfinance in India: Social Performance Report for four years.

N. Srinivasan is an expert adviser and international consultant for the World Bank, ADB, CGAP, IFAD, GIZ, KFW, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and MicroSave. He was with the RBI and NABARD for about 30 years. He has authored Microfinance in India: State of the Sector Report for five years.

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Guest Speakers

Dr. Marshall Elliott CBE, Minister (Development) and Head DFID India

Marshall has worked for DFID since 1995, and as a senior civil servant since 2001. He has held the posts of Chief Education Adviser, Head of DFID South East Asia, Head of DFID Afghanistan, Head of CHASE and Head of DFID Tanzania before taking up the post of Head of DFID India in 2014. He was awarded the CBE for his work in Afghanistan.

Marshall spent most of 2015 on detached duty as Director of the UK’s Joint Inter Agency Task Force on Ebola. He was based in Sierra Leone for 10 months, returning to India to resume his post in February 2016. Prior to joining DFID, Marshall worked as a university academic. He taught mechanical engineering and management for 12 years as well as supervising research and undertaking numerous consultancies in developing countries.

Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala Chairman, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala has been Chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) since December 18, 2013. Under his Chairmanship, NABARD is carrying out major institutional development initiatives. Under his guidance, after completion of Phase I, Phase II

of the project for digitization of Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the country is underway. He had pioneered the ‘Credit Enhancement Scheme’ during his tenure in India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd. (IIFCL). Dr. Bhanwala guides many national level institutions as a member of the Board. He is the Chairman of Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS), Board of Supervision of NABARD.

Rajnish Kumar Managing Director (National Banking Group), State Bank Of India

Rajnish Kumar assumed charge as Managing Director (National Banking Group) on 2nd November, 2015. Prior to this, he was holding charge as Managing Director (Compliance & Risk) of State Bank of India from 26th May, 2015. Rajnish Kumar was heading SBI Capital Markets Limited

(the Merchant Banking arm of State Bank of India) as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, prior to becoming Managing Director in SBI. Rajnish Kumar has been with the State Bank of India for over three decades, having joined the Bank as a Probationary Officer in 1980. Mr. Kumar has held such important positions as Dy. General Manager, Pune Zone; General Manager (NW-II), Mumbai; Regional Head, SBI (UK); Chief General Manager, North East Circle and Chief General Manager, Project Finance.

Chandan SinhaExecutive Director, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Mr. Sinha is Executive Director in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Current responsibilities include regulation of financial markets, management of forex reserves, payment & settlement systems and information technology. Work experience includes long stints with financial markets, both

within and outside the RBI as also regulation and supervision of banks. He represents RBI on committees of the Financial Stability Board and the Bank of International Settlements. Has been a resource person for training both within & outside the country and co-authored BIS papers on Corporate Bond Market Development in India and on Indian Financial Openness and Integration with SE Asian Countries. Currently, nominee director on board of SBI; has served earlier on boards of Allahabad Bank and Union Bank of India. His qualifications are M.Sc. (Physics), MBA (Finance) & CAIIB.

Stuart P Milne Group General Manager and CEO, HSBC India

Stuart Milne joined HSBC Holdings plc in 1981, having graduated with Honours in Modern Arabic Studies from the University of Durham, England. In his 33 years with HSBC, Stuart has worked in a number of businesses and in a variety of geographic locations, including the Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, Philippines, New York, Paris and Tokyo. After five

years in Hong Kong, latterly as Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking, Asia Pacific, Stuart moved to Tokyo in February 2007, upon being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer for HSBC’s business in Japan. In April 2012, Stuart was appointed Chief Executive Officer for HSBC’s business in India, based in Mumbai. He is a Group General Manager of HSBC and a member of the Asia Pacific Executive Committee, underlining the importance of the India business to HSBC. Stuart is also Chairman of the British Business Group of Mumbai and a board member of the Indian Bankers Association and the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance. Stuart is married with three children and his interests include sailing, skiing and playing the Scottish Highland bagpipe.

Amitabh KantCEO, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India)

Mr Amitabh Kant is presently posted as CEO, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India). He was till recently Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). He is a member of the Indian Administrative Service, IAS (Kerala Cadre: 1980 Batch). He

is the author of “Branding India – An Incredible Story” and has been a key driver of “Make in India”, Startup India, “Incredible India” and “God’s Own Country” campaigns. He has worked as Chairman & CEO, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corporation, CMD – ITDC, Joint Secretary – Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Secretary – Tourism, Government of Kerala, Managing Director, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, District Collector, Kozikhode and Managing Director, Matsyafed.

Jun Zhang Senior Country Manager, IFC, India He joined the World Bank Young Professionals Program in 1990 in Washington, DC, and served as Infrastructure Economist in the Indonesia Country Department upon the graduation from the Program. He then moved to IFC Capital Market Department in 1992, and subsequently worked in

various IFC global, regional and industry departments. As Investment Officer, he led a number of early IFC’s equity investments in the Chinese banking and non-banking financial sector. In 2005 he was transferred to the South Asia Department and was promoted to Financial Sector Manager. From 2010 through 2015, he was IFC Senior Regional Manager for the Caribbean, based in Dominican Republic. After a short stay in Washington, DC as Chief Investment Officer in the HQ Financial Institutions Group, he was appointed as Senior Country Manager for India at the end of 2015.

Resource Persons


Parul Agarwal Associate Director, IFMR LEAD

Parul Agarwal heads the impact evaluation group at IFMR- LEAD and manages organization’s research portfolio in the space of financial inclusion. She is involved in designing and setting up experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluation studies that are relevant to policy and practice. These include evaluation of government programs, programs

by development institutions and innovative products, services and delivery channels. Her research interests are labour mobility, product innovation and financial behavior of the poor. She is a co-investigator on some of the related studies in various parts of India and Bangladesh. These include evaluation of (1) progress of microfinance and schemes like MUDRA, (2) flexible credit contracts in Uttar Pradesh, (3) digital cash transfers and sustainable financial inclusion programme in Northern Bangladesh and (4) ecosystem of digital financial inclusion in India.

Dr. Abhishek Agrawal Chief Regional Officer, Accion India

Abhishek Agrawal joined Accion in July 2009 and is currently Accion’s Chief Regional Officer, India. As an Accion representative, Mr. Agrawal serves on the boards of Vindhya E-Infomedia, Swadhaar FinServe, and Saija Finance. He comes with extensive experience in financial management, strategy & business planning, and microfinance operations.

Mr. Agrawal had worked as CFO for more than 12 years in several countries, including at Swadhaar Microfinance starting in 2010, in his capacity as global staff for Accion. In earlier roles, Mr. Agrawal worked with FINCA International as CFO in different affiliates. Prior to that, he acted as an advisor to the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI), where he worked on number of projects in Municipal reforms & financial management for local municipal bodies. Mr. Agrawal has a Ph.D. in Municipal financial reforms and Chartered Accountant (FCA) from ICAI.

Sanjay Agarwal Managing Director, Au Financiers (India) Limited

Sanjay Agarwal is Promoter & Managing Director of Au Financiers (India) Limited. He is an all India rank holder Chartered Accountant and a first generation entrepreneur. He promoted Au Financiers (India) Limited as a non-banking, non-deposit accepting, asset finance company in 1996 based out of Rajasthan. With over 20 years of experience in the

realm of finance, credit risk management and strategic planning, he played a pivotal role in building finance and treasury, collections, legal, compliance, human resources, and other functions of the company. His dynamic vision, strategic focus, and entrepreneurial skills continue to guide the growth of the Company’s businesses. Sanjay Agarwal was one of the finalists for the 16th Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2014 (India). Recently Au Financiers was awarded in-principal approval for Small Finance Bank, the only successful NBFC in its category in India out of 72 applicants.

Smita AggarwalDirector-Investments, Omidyar Network Smita leads strategy and investments for Omidyar Network’s Financial Services initiative in India. Smita has over 25 years of experience in banking and finance. Smita has also served as senior program director at CAFRAL, a global think tank promoted by the Reserve Bank of India. Prior to CAFRAL, Smita was business head, Gramshakti at Fullerton India

Credit Company. Smita volunteers with the Indian Cancer Society. She was also instrumental in conceptualizing and launching the first debt mutual fund for supporting cancer cures. A Chartered Accountant, Smita graduated from Sydenham College in Mumbai and attended executive programs at Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management.

Khalid Ahmad Head - Product Management, PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited

Khalid Ahmad is currently Head - Product Management at PNB MetLife. He has been with the organization for over a year now and has over 13 years of experience in the financial services industry. In his current role, he is responsible for managing product strategy which involves new product

development, product research, managing integration, system development and product mix. Prior to joining PNB MetLife, Khalid has worked with Reliance Life Insurance for 2 years and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance for close to 7 years managing product planning design and development, internal stakeholder management andConsumer & distribution research. He also had stints with Standard Chartered Bank and DHL. He is a member of the CII working group on pensions, FICCI committee on Health insurance and Life Insurance Council committee on products.

Rajeev Ahuja Head Strategy, Retail & Financial Inclusion, RBL Bank

Rajeev Ahuja, Head - Strategy at RBL Bank, brings over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been an integral part of the company’s transformation journey and is responsible for building the overall strategy of the Bank while managing the Retail Banking, Transaction Banking and Financial Inclusion businesses of the Bank. He is also

responsible for the company’s capital raising, development of new businesses, partnerships and investor relations functions. In the course of his tenure in the banking industry, he has held key positions in investment banking and financial markets in India, Singapore and Hong Kong. Prior to joining RBL Bank, Rajeev was Managing Director - Investor Sales Business (South Asia) with Citigroup, India. Rajeev has also had a 7 year stint as a Director in the capital markets and investment banking divisions of Bankers Trust/Deutsche Bank in Singapore and Hong Kong.

S. Anand EVP and Business Head , EKO India, Financial Services

Mr. S. Anand is the Executive Vice President & Business Head of Payment & Remittance in EKO India Financial Services Pvt. Ltd. He has been associated with EKO since July’16. Prior to Joining EKO, Anand was the COO – FTTH Business & Director – Sterlite Technologies Ltd. (part of Vedanta Group), a pioneer

in the FTTH network in India. He holds varied experience spanning almost two decades in the Industry in managing business and profit centre operations. Mr. S. Anand has done his Masters in Management Studies (Marketing Management) and Bachelor of Science from University of Mumbai and has been previously associated with companies like Tata Teleservices, Reliance Infocom, Idea and Hutch. Mr. S. Anand is highly transcended in his profile and has represented at various conventions at Industry Level. Mr. Anand is duly recognized in the industry and has been member of prestigious organization, Institutes and Bodies at National and International level.

Nicola ArmacostManaging Director and Founder, Arc Finance, Ltd.

Nicola Armacost is the Managing Director of Arc Finance whose mission is to link the fields of finance, energy, water and sanitation. Through its partners Arc has provided over 2.4 million people with access to clean energy. Prior to joining Arc, Niki worked at Women’s World Banking, a global microfinance network. Niki is an advisor to a number of companies focused

on the off-grid energy space including Simpa, SolarNow, Frontier Markets, Angaza Design, Lumeter, Azuri, EcoZoom and Grameen Greenway. Niki is the Co-Chair of the Investment and Finance Working Group, of the SE4All Practitioner Network. She also serves on the Board of MISFA the donor consortium for microfinance in Afghanistan and is a Trustee of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson in NY, USA.

Amit Arora Consultant, The World Bank Group

Amit Arora started his career with ICICI Bank in 1996. For over twenty years now, he has worked across the financial sector spectrum from commercial banking to capital markets to development banking including stints with IDBI & Axis Bank till 2008.In the last ten years has worked with IL&FS group & GIZ before starting his current employment with the World Bank

Group since Jan’2016. At the World Bank, he is currently working on strengthening access to finance and social security services, focussing on the Lower Income States (LIS) of India, under its partnership programme with Rural Development Ministry’s National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). At International Finance Corporation (IFC), he is also working with Banks and CICs on enabling credit bureau reporting for individual member level loans availed under SHG bank linkage.

Dilip Asbe Chief Operating Officer, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

Mr. Dilip Asbe is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) prior to which he had been Chief Technology Officer (CTO) since inception of the company. He had been involved in designing, building, operationalisation and management of large scale payment

processing platforms along with strong customer relationships in Financial / Payment industry in the Asia Pacific region for 18 years. He has played a leadership role in setting up and management of National Financial Switch (NFS) as well as Cashnet, the first and second largest Domestic Switching Networks in India having very high processing capabilities. He has also designed and operationalised one of the first real time mobile top up processing platforms in India.

Prakash Bakshi Former Chairman, NABARD

Dr Prakash Bakshi was the key person in the three member team which action researched modalities for reaching out to the poor, and based on that experience prepared the design and operational guidelines for the self-help groups (SHG) bank linkage program (SHGBLP) . He prepared the project report which was accepted and implemented as the

Kudumbashree programme in Kerala. He was Member Secretary of the Task Force on regulation of microfinance that was set up at in 1998 the instance of RBI. He was Chairman, Member Secretary or Member of many important committees set up by the GoI, RBI, and the Planning Commission. He initiated many firsts in NABARD in the areas of rural infrastructure, agricultural value chain development, and climate change. He was Chairman of NABARD, and has recently been appointed member of the autonomous Advisory Commission on Infrastructure by the Government of Kerala.

Dr. Pawan Bakhshi Country Lead (Financial Services for the Poor), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Pawan is the country lead for Financial Services for the Poor strategy at the India Country Office of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He focusses on how to efficiently and effectively deliver digital financial services to the poor which can be scaled to national levels while partnering with the

Government, Regulators and Private sector players. Prior to joining BMGF, he was the Associate Director for Digital Financial Services at MicroSave. He was also an expert faculty at the Helix Institute of Digital Finance, Kenya, which trains staff of mobile money operators on Agent Networks. Recently he was a part of RBIs Committee on Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion and also a speaker at the high profile Delhi Economics Conclave hosted by the Ministry of Finance. He is currently a part of the technology sub-committee of RBIs Committee on Household finance. He pioneered Mobile Commerce / Mobile Payments in India and co-created India’s first mobile wallet service - Airtel Money.

Tamal BandyopadhyayConsulting Editor- Mint

Tamal Bandyopadhyay, one of the most respected business journalists in India, is a Consulting Editor of Mint, India’s second largest business daily. His weekly column on banking and finance, called “Banker’s Trust” is widely read for its deep insights, clarity and ability to anticipate and dissect various

policy moves. His latest book, a Random House Penguin publication, “Bandhan: The Making of a Bank” traces the history of microfinance beside the stories of three largest microfinance companies in India one of which has become a universal bank. He is also an adviser to Bandhan Bank.

Hema BansalDirector, South and Southeast Asia, Smart Campaign

Dr. Bansal leads the Smart Campaign’s work in South and Southeast Asia. Her seven years at CFI, working on the Smart Campaign have only made her more passionate about financial inclusion and consumer protection. Hema manages Smart Campaign initiatives in eight countries, including India,

Bangladesh, Myanmar, Philippines, Pakistan, Nepal and Laos. In India, she has established Smart Campaign, by being a lead on prominent projects of IFC, SIDBI, MFIN and Sa-Dhan. Through these action and research projects, Smart Campaign succeeded in raising the bar on client protection within India and helped to build the capacity of the sector as a whole on client protection. Her latest projects in India for Smart Campaign, are on developing a monitoring framework for Sa-Dhan, mapping risks for agent networks around client protection and developing a code of conduct for BCs. At Accion, Hema has worked on client protection assessments, training, social audits, CAMEL ratings, and due diligence and monitoring of Accion investments in India.

Srinivas BonamHead- Inclusive Banking Group, IndusInd Bank

Srinivas has twenty year experience in Microfinance (Retail & Wholesale); Corporate and Project finance. He is currently Head Inclusive Banking Group at IndusInd Bank responsible for driving the Bank’s Financial Inclusion Agenda. He is a BE (Mech) and MBA (Fin) from Osmania University, Hyderabad.

He was also the Vice President-Microfinance at ABN AMRO Bank, where he was responsible for Microfinance Business of the bank. He has also handled Project Finance and Restructuring of Stressed Assets as Manager Projects at IFCI Ltd. (India’s first DFI). He was also responsible for processing credit proposals originated from 15 branches at Bharat Overseas bank Ltd. (India’s first Joint Sector Bank), as Manager Advances. In his early years, he has worked with various divisions viz., Operations, Finance, HR and MIS. Besides setting up a Unit Office and developing business in its formative years, was instrumental in designing the incentive structure for the field staff, developing the first Operations Manual and design MIS.

Royston BraganzaCEO, Grameen Capital Royston joined Grameen Capital in 2007 to launch the organization as CEO. He currently oversees all aspects of operations in India. Grameen Capital, founded by Grameen Foundation USA. In his earlier assignment, as a Senior Vice President with HSBC, Royston was instrumental in setting up and heading HSBC’s Microfinance & Priority Sector business.

He serves on many boards and advisory bodies, including Sa-Dhan, Grameen Foundation India, FICCI Financial Inclusion Committee, the CII National Committee on NBFC’s, the United Nations Microfinance Resource Group, the Indian Impact Investors Executive Council and the IMC Finance and Banking Committee. He has been invited to address various programs, in India and globally, promoting microfinance as a sustainable tool to eradicate poverty.

Ragini ChaudharyPrivate Sector Development Advisor, DFID, India

Ragini is development finance professional with more than 15 years of experience in microfinance and development. She is currently leading the financial inclusion agenda of Poorest State Inclusive Growth (PSIG) Programme as well as its impact investment and incubation portfolio as a Private Sector Development Advisor, UK Government’s Department For

International Development (DFID) India. Prior to DFID, she has worked in Mi India (DiaVikas Capital), EDA Rural Systems, Care India, Institute of Rural Management Anand, in various capacities specialising in impact investment, training, rating, consulting and social performance management of microfinance institutions. Ragini is a management graduate from Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and has qualified as a Management Accountant from Chartered Institute of Management Accounting (CIMA), UK.

Greg ChenLead, Asia, CGAP

Based out of Washington, DC, Greg Chen works to advance access to finance by helping establish new business models that leverage the changing landscape of technology and communications. He brings 18 years of financial inclusion experience and more than a decade of work residing in South Asia and working with businesses and policy makers.

Prior to CGAP, Greg worked for the Aga Khan Development Network, Shore Bank International, and Bank of America. An American national, he has lived and worked in South Asia for most of the past 12 years, with a particular focus on India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. His academic training is in economics, and he holds a master’s degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School

G R ChintalaChief General Manager, Micro Credit Innovations Department (MCID), NABARD

G R Chintala is a post graduate from Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) New Delhi. Mr. Chintala had worked in various states of India and at the moment is heading the Micro Credit Innovations Department (MCID) which oversees

the World’s largest Poverty alleviation cum women empowerment program covering 8 million Self Help Groups (SHGs). Besides this he has vast experience in promoting Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs), Livelihood Enterprise Development Programs, Area Development Schemes and Alternative energy models in the state of Karnataka. Currently he is the Director on the Board of NABARD Financial Services (NABFINS). He was a faculty member for more than a half decade and also headed the Prestigious Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) as Director.

Vijayalakshmi DasManaging Director, Ananya Finance for Inclusive Growth

Ms. Vijayalakshmi Das is a post graduate in Economics from University of Madras an also a post graduate in Regional Planning from the School of Planning in Ahemdabad. She is currently heading Ananya Finance. She also holds the position of CEO of Friends of Women’s World Banking, India since April 2013. She has the experience of working with pioneer

institutions like Administrative Staff College India, Hyderabad and Aga Khan Rural Support System, Ahmedabad. She has attended Advanced Trainings organized by prestigious institutions like Economic Institute, USA, Harvard Institute for International Development and Women’s World Banking, USA. She is currently associated as Director with organizations like Light Microfinance and MSM Microfinance. She also hold the position of Trustee in organizations like Mahila Housing Trust and Bandhan- Financial Inclusion Trust. She hold the experience of providing consultancy services in the areas of livelihoods and microfinance to various national and international agencies.

Saugato DattaManaging Director, Ideas42

Saugato Datta is a Managing Director at ideas42, where he oversees most of the organization’s work in Asia and Africa. He works with partners in government, NGOs and firms focused on low-income populations to design, test and scale applications of behavioral economics to benefit poor people in developing countries. His current work spans

immunization, family planning, violence reduction, financial inclusion, resource conservation, agriculture, and the design of transfer programs. Before joining ideas42, Saugato spent three years writing about economics at The Economist in London. He edited the third edition of Economics: Making Sense of the Modern Economy, an edited selection of Economist articles about economics. Prior to this, he was a researcher at the World Bank in Washington, DC.

Madhur DeoraSenior Vice President and CFO, Paytm

As CFO, Madhur is responsible for leading Paytm’s finance function and investments and fundraising activities. Madhur is also responsible for Paytm’s financial services business. Madhur has over 17 years of professional experience in investment banking. Prior to joining Paytm in October 2016, he served as Managing Director in Citigroup’s investment banking

business in a career which spanned New York, London and Mumbai. In his last role at Citi, he was responsible for Telecom, Media, Technology, Internet and Private Equity clients in India and led several landmark transactions for important clients such as Just Dial, Makemytrip, Idea Cellular, Telenor, Carlyle, Blackstone, KKR and others. In 2015, he also led the fund-raising discussions for Paytm with Ant Financial and Alibaba. Madhur graduated cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated cum laude from Phillips Exeter Academy.

Ajay Desai Senior President and Chief Financial Inclusion Officer, Yes Bank Limited

Ajay Desai is Senior President and Chief Financial Inclusion Officer at YES BANK and Distinguished Fellow of YES Institute, a private sector global Think Tank. He oversees Inclusive & Social Banking (ISB) & Microfinance Institutions Group (MFIG) teams. He has been a key contributor to the development

of several frugal innovations like YES Sahaj (Micro-ATM device), YES Money (Domestic Remittance Service) & YES LEAP (SHG Bank Linkage program). He is one of the key architects of “Frugal Innovations for Financial Inclusion (FI4FI)” approach of the bank, which has received several awards and accolades at national and international level. Earlier as Country Head, Agribusiness Rural & Social Banking at YES BANK, he was instrumental in developing several structured financing deals to ensure Bank’s outreach to farmers, despite constrain of limited rural branch network. He has over 20 years of experience in various capacities across Rural Development and Banking Sector in India. Ajay holds PGDRM from IRMA and M. Sc (Agri) from KKV, Dapoli.

Krishnan Dharmarajan Executive Director, Center for Digital Financial Inclusion

Krishnan heads the Centre for Digital Financial Inclusion (CDFI) in India as its Executive Director. The Centre aims to develop and scale digital payment innovations and digital financial products and platforms aimed at poor or otherwise excluded population segments. Prior to joining CDFI, Krishnan was Commissioner (Systems), CBEC, Govt of India where

he worked on conceptualization and establishment of the Goods and Services Tax Network. Krishnan also worked for five years at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Govt of India as Principal Consultant and Advisor for India’s National e-Governance Plan, where he was variously responsible for Program Monitoring, Strategic Planning, Capacity Building, Institutional Restructuring and Multilateral Funding for large e-governance programs.

David M. Dror Chairman & Managing Director, Micro Insurance Academy

Prof. David M. Dror is an acclaimed international expert in microinsurance with over 35 years’ experience in social protection and health financing. He served as Senior Social Security Specialist for the International Labour Organization until March 2003, advising on social and health insurance systems worldwide. David Dror has been Hon. Professor at

Erasmus University Rotterdam (2004-2014). He has been working in India since 2005 and has professional experience in numerous countries across Asia and Africa, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa, and Vietnam. He was named “Personality of the Year” in 2009 by the Asia Insurance Industry for “groundbreaking research and study which has helped boost understanding of how the world’s poorest communities can benefit from microinsurance”.

Atal Dulloo Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development , Govt. of India

Atal Dulloo is an IAS officer of the 1989 batch who is presently on Central Deputation posted as Joint Secretary Mission Director, National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Until 2013, he served as the Commissioner and Secretary, Tourism and Cultural

Department with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Previously he was also the Commissioner for Science and Technology Department with Government of J&K besides having served with the Health & Family Welfare Department, J&K Special Tribunal, Forest Department in the J&K State Government among others. He has undergone professional trainings on Ethics and Governance in 2014 in USA and SAARC Special Training on Healthcare Policy and Program Management in 2009 in Korea. In 2013, he received the State Award for meritorious public service on Republic Day in addition to being awarded for successfully conducting elections in J&K in 1996. Atal Dulloo holds a B.Tech. in Civil Engineering.

Richard Ian EldridgeCo-founder and CEO, Lenddo

Mr Eldridge is the co-founder and CEO of Lenddo, world leader in identity authentication and scoring technology using non-traditional data. In January 2015, after 4 years of lending, Lenddo opened its technologies to banks, lending institutions, utilities companies and credit card companies

worldwide to reduce risk, increase portfolio size, improve customer service and verify applicants. Before Lenddo, Mr Eldridge has more than 6 years of management consultancy experience with Renoir Consulting, operating across various industries and business functions in more than 8 countries. Since its inception in 2001, Mr Eldridge has been known as one of the pioneers in the outsourcing industry in the Philippines, having successfully ran two outsourcing companies in the form of Summersault and Infinit-O. In addition, Mr Eldridge is a director at the British Chamber and the European Chamber of Commerce Philippines. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Management Sciences from Warwick University in the United Kingdom.

Uttam GarodiaVice President, Public Finance, Janalakshmi Financial Services

Uttam Garodia is a rank holding Chartered Accountant who has been associated with the Public Finance vertical of Janalakshmi Financial Services for more than a year. Janalakshmi is a leading urban focused micro finance institution in India and is expected to transition into a small

finance bank within FY17. Uttam is responsible for business development and structuring of impact loans in sectors like Education, Healthcare, Water and Sanitation, Urban Infra, Transport, Agriculture etc. He has an overall experience of more than 10 years across Private Equity and Corporate Finance roles in ICICI Venture and Morgan Stanley.

Chandra Shekhar Ghosh Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Bandhan Bank Ltd.

Mr. Ghosh is the Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Bandhan Bank Ltd. Mr. Ghosh was elected as ‘Senior Ashoka Fellow’ in 2007 by Ashoka Foundation (social entrepreneurship award). In the year 2014 he won Forbes India Leadership Awards in the category ‘Entrepreneur with Social Impact’. He was also declared ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by India’s leading

business daily ‘The Economic Times’ in 2014. He received Microfinance India Awards 2015 in the category ‘Lifetime contribution to the sector by an individual’; he was also conferred with the ‘Outstanding Leadership’ Award 2015 by Dhaka University Statistics Department Alumni Association (DUSDAA), Bangladesh and has been bestowed with ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award in the category ‘Financial Services’ by Ernst & Young.

Samit GhoshCEO & MD, Ujjivan Financial Services Limited

Samit Ghosh founded Ujjivan in 2005 as a pioneer Microfinance institution for the urban poor. Mr. Ghosh was a career banker for over 30 years and worked in South Asia and the Middle East. He started his career with Citibank in 1975 and co-pioneered consumer banking in India in 1985. Further he led the launch of retail banking for Standard Chartered Bank in

the Middle East and South Asia, and for HDFC Bank in India. His last assignment was as the Chief Executive (India) Bank of Muscat. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He has been the past President of Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) and the Chairman of Association of Karnataka Microfinance Institutions (AKMI). Presently he is a Board member of Stichting to Promote Women’s World Banking Capital Partners L.P.

Drew von GlahnCo-founder, Third Sector Capital Drew’s career spans the private, nonprofit and public sectors. He is the Co-founder of Third Sector Capital, a leading U.S. advisor on impact financings and Pay-For-Success mechanisms. He currently advises the World Bank, African Development Bank and the UN on private sector

solutions. For over twenty years he was an investment banker and investor, leading transactions across the globe. His investment and financing activities have been broad ranging; including tech-enabled start-ups, renewable energy, leverage, project and asset-backed financings. As a business executive, Drew has been the CEO of a social enterprise, CFO of an online finance company and senior executive of a nonprofit association that supports children and communities.At the World Bank, Drew managed its global grant program that supports over one hundred early stage social enterprises.

Bhawani Shankar GuptaSecretary, SUPPORT

B. S. Gupta serves as the Secretary of SUPPORT. The organization has been instrumental in extension of services to benefit the poorest communities in remote rural areas and establishing successful pilot models with active involvement of the community. He completed his post graduation from Xavier’s Institute of Social Sciences in 1986. Initially he worked

with the Holy Cross Society. He had always been inclined towards working for the benefit of the poor in rural areas and this led him think of the formation of SUPPORT. Since then the organization continues to be a pioneer in rural development.

Subrata GuptaChief General Manager, Department of Financial Inclusion and Banking Technology, NABARD

Subrata Gupta is currently the Chief General Manager of Department of Financial Inclusion and Banking Technology at NABARD. He joined NABARD in the year 1985 and has varied experience in areas like micro finance, economic analysis, resource mobilization, infrastructure finance and training. He

has also headed the Sikkim Regional Office of NABARD. He spearheaded the entire project of implementing core banking solutions across 201 DCCBs and SCBS across 16 States and 3 union territiories which was accomplished within the stipulated time frame. Since October 2014, he is taking care of the Financial Inclusion and Banking Technology portfolio in NABARD. He was also a member of the RBI Committee on Medium Term Path on Financial Inclusion.

Monika HalanConsulting Editor, MINT

Monika Halan is Consulting Editor Money, a part of the leadership team at Mint and a Consultant with the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. A Certified Financial Planner, she has a MA. in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and a second MA. in Journalism Studies from

College of Cardiff, University of Wales, UK. She has run four successful TV series around personal finance advice and is a regular speaker on financial literacy, regulation and consumer issues in retail finance. She has public policy experience working with the GOI as an advisor to the Swarup Committee in 2009. She has served as a member on the Ministry of Finance Committee on Incentives (Bose Committee) and is a member on the Sebi Mutual Fund Committee. She was an expert invitee to a Ministry of Commerce Committee on the Service Price Index. She is a director on the board of FPSB and FPSF India. She is the author of a published academic paper and a working paper.

Malcolm HarperProfessor Emeritus, Enterprise Development, Cranfield School of Management U.K

Malcolm Harper was educated at Oxford, Harvard and the University of Nairobi. He worked in business in England and then taught in Nairobi from 1970 to 1974, before coming to Cranfield, where he was Professor of Enterprise Development. Since 1995 he has worked mainly in India. He

has published on livelihoods, micro-finance and child protection. He has advised on development and micro-finance in India and elsewhere. From 1996 until 2006 he was Chairman of Basix, and is Chairman of M-CRIL of Gurgaon. He was editor of “Enterprise Development and Microfinance”, and is director of APT Action Against Poverty.India and elsewhere. From 1996 until 2006 he was Chairman of Basix, and is Chairman of M-CRIL of Gurgaon. He was editor of “Enterprise Development and Microfinance”, and is director of APT Action Against Poverty.

A P Hota Managing Director & CEO, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

Mr. A.P. Hota is Managing Director & CEO of National Payments Corporation of India since February 2009. A significant part of his career in Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 2009 has been in the area of design and implementation of Payment systems in India. He has played a key role in

implementation of MICR technology in Cheque Clearing, Electronic Funds Transfer, Automated Clearing House, Cheque Truncation System and RTGS system in India. Under his leadership, NPCI has launched India’s own card scheme ‘RuPay’. Very recently, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was launched by Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor of Reserve Bank of India. He is Honorary Fellow of Indian Institute of Banking and Finance. He is a member in various Committees of the Government of India and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and has contributed to policy and decision-making processes in Payment Systems and Financial Inclusion in particular.

Mr. A.P. Hota is Managing Director & CEO of National Payments Corporation of India since February

2009. A significant part of his career in Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 2009 has been in the area

of design and implementation of Payment systems in India. He has played a key role in implementation

of MICR technology in Cheque Clearing, Electronic Funds Transfer, Automated Clearing House, Cheque

Truncation System and RTGS system in India. Under his leadership, NPCI has launched India’s own

card scheme ‘RuPay’ in record three years’ time which is now accepted on all three channels, viz. ATM,

PoS and eCommerce with an issuance figure of 300 Million plus RuPay cards. Very recently, the

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was launched by Dr. Raghuram Rajan, Governor of Reserve Bank of

India.

He is Honorary Fellow of Indian Institute of Banking and Finance. He is a member in various

Committees of the Government of India and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and has contributed to policy

and decision-making processes in Payment Systems and Financial Inclusion in particular. He is a

regular speaker at Payment systems and Financial Inclusion conferences in India and abroad and has

played a key role in widening the use of electronic payments in India.

Pankaj Jain Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India

Pankaj Jain is currently the Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. An IAS officer of the 1990 batch, he is an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce from where he has a Bachelor’s degree

in Commerce followed by an MBA from FMS Delhi. He also has a professional qualification in the discipline of accounting as an Associate of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.He has worked for the Government of Assam and Meghalaya. Apart from functioning as District Magistrate at Shillong and Tura, he has held assignments related to Power, Information Technology, Livelihood Promotion and Industries and at the State’s Power utility. With the Government of India, he has worked as Director in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. His work experience also includes a three year stint with the British International Aid Agency – the Department for International Development (DFID).

Katy Jones Consultant, Social Finance UK

Katy works with impact investment advisory firm Social Finance, supporting donors, investors and delivery organisations to develop and implement results-based financing structures in emerging markets. She has recently worked on several Indian programmes, including impact bonds in healthcare and WASH, and donor funds that link funding to

outcomes in energy access and education. Katy started her career in investment banking, working with RBS and UBS for ten years where she made and managed investments into private-equity backed companies. In 2013, she left banking to focus on impact investment, working as a Corporate Finance advisor with Social Finance, ClearlySo (a UK impact investment bank) and Varthana (a Bangalore-basedNon Bank Finance Companythat supports the Indian Affordable Private School segment). She is a Director of the UK’s Financial Inclusion Forum.

Anil Kumar Khachi Additional Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India

Anil Kumar Khachi currently serves as Additional Secretary, Dept of Financial Services. He was the Chief Vigilance Officer, Food Corporation of India and is a Himachal Pradesh Cadre IAS Officer of 1986 Batch. He is an alumnus in St. Stephen’s College of Delhi University and Delhi School of Economics. Prior to his

central deputation in June, 2010, he was Chief Electoral Officer and successfully conducted the 2009 Parliamentary Elections.In Delhi he has served as DDG in UIDAI where he was responsible for the design and rollout of the enrolment eco-system for AADHAR. He was also instrumental in developing protocols for all enrollment related activities of the Project. After 3 years stint with UIDAI, he moved as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Labour & Employment where he was tasked with all matters related to Child labour and women labour, besides looking after the administrative and coordination issues of the Ministry.

Piyush Khaitan Founder & MD, NeoGrowth Credit Pvt.

Piyush Khaitan (PK) is a seasoned operating executive who has founded a number of businesses and operated them to high levels of success. He has over 30years of experience in the Indian Payments & Fintech industry focusing on Business Leadership, Payment Processing, SME Lending, Corporate

Development, Business Operations, Technology and Strategy. He is the Founder & Managing Director of NeoGrowth Credit Pvt. Ltd, a fintech companybased out of India that provides unsecured loans to SMEs repaid by card receivables, e-commerce sales and other non-cash payments.

Roopa Kudva Partner, Omidyar Network and MD, Omidyar Network India Advisors

Roopa Kudva is a partner of Omidyar Network and managing director of Omidyar Network India Advisors, where she leads overall investment strategy and operations. In her role, Roopa helps Omidyar Network manage and develop the India-based portfolio across core initiatives. Prior to joining

Omidyar Network, Roopa spent 23 years with CRISIL, and was its managing director and chief executive officer from 2007. Roopa is regularly featured in the media as a prominent woman leader in corporate India. She has served as a member of several policy-level committees relating to the Indian financial system, and is an independent director on the boards of Infosys and Tata AIA Life Insurance Company. Roopa holds a postgraduate diploma in management from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and is a Distinguished Alumnus of the institute.

Peeyush Kumar Joint Secretary, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mission, Govt. of India

Peeyush Kumar, Joint Secretary, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mission, Cabinet Secretariat is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1997 batch (Andhra Pradesh Cadre), has served Government of India in various capacities. He worked as

Director (Budget), Director (Bilateral Cooperation Division), D/o Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Project Officer, Outer Ring Road, Hyderabad, Govt. of A.P, Collector & District Magistrate and other high level positions. He has experience in Infrastructure, International Trade, Urban Development, Renewable Energy, Agriculture Development and Micro- Credit, Corporate Governance, Banking, Insurance, Pension and Finance. Mr. Kumar is a Gold Medalist in Master of Science (Statistics) from Indian Statistical Institute.

Prakash Kumar General Manager, SFMC Vertical, SIDBI

Prakash Kumar is General Manager at SFMC, SIDBI, Head Office, Lucknow, since June 2015. Prior to his posting at Lucknow, Kumar had been in-charge of the prestigious Poorest State Inclusive Growth (PSIG ) Project being implemented by SIDBI with support from DFID, UK. He held this position from May 2011-May 2015. He is a postgraduate

in Financial Management from the NMIMS, Mumbai and graduate in Chemical Engineering from IIT Delhi. He has more than 20 years’ experience in SIDBI in areas such as SME Financing, Microfinance, Recovery and NPA Management, Business Process Re- engineering etc at the Head Office and Branch Levels. Prior to joining SIDBI, he also worked for 2 years at Biotech Consortium India Limited, a company promoted by DBT, GOI and All India Financial Institutions.

Dr. Rajiv Lall Founder MD & CEO, IDFC Bank Dr. Rajiv B. Lall is Founder MD & CEO of IDFC Bank since 1st Oct 2015. He was the Executive Chairman of IDFC Limited until September 2015. He has about three decades of experience with leading global investment banks, multilateral agencies and in academia. He currently chairs the National

Committee on Infrastructure Financing of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) a leading business chamber in the country. He is a member of the Managing Committee of ASSOCHAM; the CII National Council on Financial Sector Development and the CII National Committee on Banking. Internationally, he is a member of the Advisory Board of Columbia Global Centers, South Asia, set up by the Columbia University, New York. He is also on the International Advisory Board of the Centre for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania. He has a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University.

Vijay MahajanFounder, BASIX Group

Vijay Mahajan is a Distinguished Alumnus of IIT, Delhi and IIM, Ahmedabad and Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, USA. He was named among “60 outstanding social entrepreneurs of the world” at the World Economic Forum Davos in 2003.

In 1981, hefounded PRADAN for livelihood promotion of the poor. In 1996, he foundedthe Basix Social Enterprise Group, which has supported the livelihoods of three million poor households. Vijay was one of the co-founders of Sa-dhan in 1999 and also of MFIN in 2009, member of the Rangarajan Committee on Financial Inclusion 2007, the Raghuram Rajan Committee of Financial Sector Reforms 2008 and Board Member and then Chair of the World Bank hostedConsultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) from 2007 to 2013.

Neeraj MaheshwariSenior Vice President & Head – Group & Partnership Distributions, DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

Neeraj Maheshwari is a currently heading the Group Business & Partner Distribution vertical at DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Co. Ltd. He has been instrumental in building a sustainable business portfolio and developed excellent business relationships with key Institutional business partners.

With over 11 years of experience in the insurance industry, Neeraj has grown swiftly in his field with his vivid expertise of the micro insurance and financial inclusion segment. Previously, Neeraj has held role in Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd., ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, ING Vysya Life Insurance as a business development expert. In his previous role, he has been instrumental in turning around Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance’s micro-insurance business, with impressive growth in the book size. He holds an MBA in Finance & Marketing.

Badal Malick Chief Executive Officer, Catalyst: Inclusive Cash Less Payment Partnership

Badal is CEO at Catalyst, a USAID funded initiative in collaboration with the Government of India, which is combining technology, business and policy levers to expand digital payments using an ecosystem approach. Badal has a deep industry background in financial services,

digital payments and online commerce. His previous roles have included Vice President and Head of Omnichannel at Snapdeal, Group Product Head at Intuit’s Quickbooks business unit, Engagement Manager at McKinsey’s financial services & payments practice, and Economist & Operations Analyst at the World Bank’s urban governance program. He is an active angel investor in Fin-tech and B2B technology space, and an advisor to pi Ventures.

Jiji Mammen CEO, MUDRA bank

Jiji Mammen is the first CEO of MUDRA bank launched on 8 April 2015 by the Hon’ble Prime Minster. Prior to joining MUDRA, as its first CEO, Shri Mammen has been with NABARD for almost 30 years, having joined the institution on 16 September 1985, through a campus recruitment programme.

In NABARD, he has worked in various areas and at various centres. He was the Officer-in-charge of Manipur State, early in his career. He also served as the District Development Manager of NABARD in Kottayam district. He worked in the Development Policy Department (Non farm Sector) and Corporate Planning Department in the Corporate office of NABARD. He has also worked as a Faculty Member in the Mangalore campus of Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), the erstwhile Regional Training College, Mangalore. He has served in areas like Jharkhand, during his tenure in Ranchi and also North Eastern Region and also as a District Development Manger, dealing directly with the grass roots.

Sanjeev MantriExecutive Director, ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited

Sanjeev Mantri is Executive Director at ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited, the largest private sector General Insurance Company in India.He spearheads the retail division of ICICI Lombard and is responsible fordistribution of products across agency,

bancassurance, direct and alternate channels. He is also in charge of strategy, products, analytics, pricing, marketing and corporate communication verticals at ICICI Lombard. Prior to ICICI Lombard, Sanjeev was heading the Rural & Inclusive Banking portfolio at ICICI Bank. He has also led the SME business vertical at the bank in the past. His career spanning over 2 decades includes a stint with BNP Paribas where he handled various responsibilities in the Corporate Banking space. In terms of qualification, Sanjeev is a Cost and Chartered Accountant.

Ben Mathew Sales Director, Asia Greenlight Planet, Inc.

Ben leads the Asia business for Greenlight Planet, a social enterprise that has delivered 5 million+ life-changing solar lighting systems to the under-electrified in 50+ countries. In this role he drives Greenlight’s sales partnerships and retail penetration in Asia, in addition to co-creating company’s strategy on new products, operations and marketing.

Prior to this he served for over 5 years as the Vice President for Sales & Strategy in the founding team at VC-Circle (acquired by News Corp), a premier data and services enterprise for the private equity, venture capital and the deal-making ecosystem. Here he set up and managed the company’s primary revenue channels and products. He is a member of MIT’s Practial Impact Alliance and a graduate in Business Economics (Hons.) from Delhi University.

Rafael MazerFinancial Sector Specialist, CGAP Rafe Mazer leads CGAP’s work on applying behavioral research to consumer protection and financial inclusion. He has designed and led behavioral research projects with policy makers, providers and donors to help understand how our behaviors impact financial decisions and outcomes.

This research has been used to develop a range of financial inclusion solutions, including interactive SMS for mobile savings and credit, key facts statements and disclosure regulations, complaints handling regulations, data disclosure messaging, and regulations for consumer protection in digital financial services. He has led research in markets including Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and Tanzania.

Karen Miller Chief Knowledge and Communications Officer, Women’s World Banking

Karen Miller is the Chief Knowledge and Communications Officer of Women’s World Banking, the global nonprofit dedicated to providing low-income women with the financial products and services they need to achieve security and

prosperity. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Karen is responsible for the knowledge dissemination, peer learning, and marketing of the organization’s global work in women’s financial inclusion in 29 countries. Prior to joining Women’s World Banking, Karen spent nearly twenty years in the private sector, building global brands. Ms. Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a MBA from Duke University.

Dr. Alok Misra Professor, Public Policy & Governance Area, Management Development Institute

Alok Misra, is Professor, Public Policy & Governance at Management Development Institute (MDI) and Chairperson, Centre for Financial Inclusion. Alok has 24 years of professional experience in international development,

rural finance/microfinance/inclusive finance and research at both policy and implementation level. He has worked with NABARD, NCDEX and as CEO of a global microfinance rating, policy analysis and technical advisory agency. Alok has provided consulting services to various multilaterals such as ADB, UNCDF, World Bank, IFC, GIZ and SDC. Alok holds a PhD in Development Studies from Victoria University of Wellington, Master in Development Management (Gold Medallist) from Asian Institute of Management, Manila. He has been trained at Harvard Business School in “Strategic Leadership for Microfinance” and was a Fellow, Fletcher Leadership Program for Financial Inclusion at Tufts University.

Alok MittalCo-founder and CEO, Indifi Alok is Co-founder and CEO of Indifi, a platform for enabling debt financing for small businesses. Alok is also an active angel investor, co-founder of Indian Angel Network, and on the board of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Delhi. Prior to starting Indifi, Alok setup and ran Canaan Partners’ operations

in India, investing in high growth technology and internet startups. Earlier, Alok co-founded JobsAhead.com, a leading web-based recruitment business in India, which was acquired by Monster.com, the global leader in online recruitment. Alok earned a BE in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and a MS in computer science from UC Berkeley.

Manoj Mittal Deputy Managing Director, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Manoj Mittal, presently functions as a Whole Time Director, designated as Deputy Managing Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), a leading Development Financial Institution in India. He has been instrumental in driving the best practices initiatives of SIDBI, such as,

introduction of Code of Conduct Assessment & Responsible Finance Practices for the sector, innovative tools for credit assessment of MFIs (Micro Finance Institutions), launch of Government of India’s India Microfinance Equity Fund for equity / quasi equity support to early stage / growing MFIs and Formation of Lenders’ Forum. He was also a core member of the team handling the critical period of sectoral crisis in the MFI sector including its resolution under the special Credit Debt Restructuring mechanism.

Stephen MwanikiRegional General Manager - Operations, Equity Bank

Stephen Mwaniki has over 17 years of experience in Banking having worked in Equity Bank Microfinance institution that has keen interest in positive transformation of low income customers. He held the position of a Branch manager for ten years. Prior to that Stephen worked for 6 years as a financial Auditor for ministry of cooperative development. Stephen

served as a General Manager, Market Research and Product Development in Equity Bank for 5 years. He was instrumental in development of pro poor bank products and more so formulating approaches towards pocket friendly financing of the poor in Water, sanitation, hygiene and health conscious, sustainable renewable energy. He also worked as a Regional Operations general Manager in Nairobi West and North Eastern Region He is currently a Regional General Manager Operation incharge of Equity Bank Ltd Tanzania Subsidiary.

Y C NandaChairman, ACCESS ASSIST Y. C. Nanda is a post graduate from the Delhi School of Economics in 1964, securing firstrank in the University. For a year, Nanda worked as a Lecturer in the Ram College of Commerce, Delhi and thereafter for a short period in the State Bank of India before joiningthe RBI. After working in

RBI till 1983, Nanda then moved to NABARD. In 2003, he retired as the Chairman of NABARD. The Government of India appointed Y. C. Nanda as a member ofthe National Commission for Farmers in 2004, whose work was completed in November 2006. Nanda has worked as a microfinance expert with FAO, IFAD, UNOPS, and GTZ for their projects in India and abroad. Additionally, he has also worked with NCAER and Sir Rattan Tata Trust as a consultant. Presently, he is Director/Trustee with a number of institutions in the microfinance, rural development, and management education sectors in India.

Chandni Ohri CEO, Grameen Foundation India Chandni G. Ohri brings over a decade of experience in financial services, microfinance and international development in her current role as the Chief Executive Officer of Grameen Foundation India (GFI). She manages alliances with key stakeholders in the microfinance industry in India, who range from national networks and technical service

providers to lenders and investors. During her tenure, Chandni has helped various organistions focused on delivering financial services, and health and livelihood solutions for the poor, across a range of issues including strategy development, program design and implementation, institutional capacity building, technology integration, change leadership and poverty measurement. Chandni completed her MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and a Masters in International Development from the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington, Seattle.

Kalpana PandeyMD & CEO, CRIF High Mark Kalpana Pandey is spearheading CRIF High Mark’s transition into a new age credit information bureau in India. With over 23 years of experience in the BFSI segment, Kalpana has been spearheading CRIF High Mark’s transition into a new age credit information bureau in India. Capitalizing on her past experience as Chief Technology Officer of

erstwhile High Mark and at HDFC Bank as Senior Vice President – IT, Kalpana’s expertise are designing & managing many ‘Time & Business’ critical set-ups in key organizations. She excels in conceptualizing and transforming challenges into business opportunities. An M.Tech (Computer Science & Technology) & P. G. Diploma (Electronics &Communication) from IIT Roorkee, she is also certified on various internationally accepted Best Practices, Frameworks and Standards on Enterprise Architecture, Governance, Risk, Compliance & other Management practices.

Alok Prasad Sector Expert

Alok Prasad is a veteran banker and the founder CEO of Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), India (2010-2015). He has held senior positions across institutions ranging from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to Citibank. Passionate about financial inclusion and regulatory issues, Prasad has

worked closely with the RBI, the Government and the Microfinance industry for development of an appropriate policy framework for promoting access to finance in India. Prasad is credited with making MFIN the first RBI recognized Self-regulatory organisation (SRO) in the financial sector. He also served as the Chairperson of the South Asian Microfinance Network (SAMN) for the period 2013-15. Regarded as an expert and ‘go to’ person for financial inclusion related issues, Prasad is currently connected with a number of Banks/Financial institutions, as a Board member, Mentor, or in an advisory capacity.

Dianne Rajaratnam Asia Regional Lead, Better Than Cash Alliance (UNCDF)

Dianne Rajaratnam is the Asia Lead at the Better Than Cash Alliance, a UN-based partnership of governments, companies and international organizations that accelerates the global transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth. At the Alliance,

Dianne over sees the work withits Asian members, assisting them to shift from cash to digital payments through advocacy, research as well as technical and catalytic support in order to build inclusive digital payments eco-systems in these countries. Prior to joining the Better Than Cash Alliance, Dianne was a management consultant for nearly a decade with Accenture, where she led a number of digital and technological transformations, as well as global partnerships across the private, public and international development sectors.Dianne holds a Master of Engineering in Computer Systems from the University of Bristol in the UK and a Master of e-Law from the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Anuradha Ramachandran Director, Investments, Omidyar Network

Anuradha brings extensive experience in early-stage venture capital to her role at Omidyar Network. Anuradha leads investments in financial inclusion that bring critical services to millions of financially underserved Indians. Prior to joining Omidyar Network in early 2012, Anuradha spent seven years at VentureEast, an early-stage venture capital fund. While

there, she made many successful investments across sectors spanning clean tech, enterprise software, IT services, financial inclusion, supply chain, and group buying. Previously she was an investment banker at Lazard India where she focused on the life sciences and consumer products sector. Anuradha also served in various M&A, business development, and corporate strategy roles at UTV Interactive and Cadila Pharmaceuticals. She began her career as a principal correspondent on the corporate reporting and equity analysis team for one of India’s leading business dailies, The Financial Express.

Rahil RangwalaDirector-Family Economic Stability Team in India,Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Rahil Rangwala is the Director of the Family Economic Stability team in India and oversees the foundation’s investments in the financial inclusion and livelihoods sectors. He spent over seven years at Bridgewater Associates, a global macro

hedge fund, before making the transition to the development sector. Rahil has a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Texas in Austin and a master’s in public administration with a focus on international development from New York University. He represents the Dell Family Foundation on the boards of LabourNet, Kinara Capital and iStar.

Anand RaoCo-founder, Managing Director Chaitanya Microfinance Anand is a co-founder of Chaitanya Microfinance, which was setup in 2009 and focuses on microfinance activities in deep rural areas. He is also a board member of Microfinance Institution Network (MFIN), an association of NBFC-MFIs. Before starting Chaitanya, Anand worked at Small Scale

Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF), an international non-profit organization, where he worked on innovative financial and technical solutions to meet basic infrastructure needs of low income communities. He has also worked in the Indian Corporate Sector at PepsiCo India and Bosch India. Anand has a MA in International Relations from Syracuse University, USA, a Management Degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University.

Shamika RaviSenior Fellow, Economics and Governance Studies, Brookings India and Brookings Institution

Dr. Shamika Ravi is a Senior Fellow of Economics and Governance Studies at Brookings India and Brookings Institution, Washington D.C. Her research is in the area of Development Economics with a focus on Political Economy of Gender Inequality, Financial Inclusion and Health. She is

also a Visiting Professor of Economics at the Indian School of Business, where she teaches courses on Game Theory and Microfinance. She is a scholar affiliate at the Financial Access Initiative of New York University, was a member of the Enforcement Directorate of Microfinance Institutions Network in India and served on boards of several microfinance institutions. Professor Ravi publishes extensively in peer reviewed academic journals and writes regularly in leading newspapers. Her research has been featured and cited by BBC, The Guardian, The Financial Times and several leading Indian newspapers and magazines. Dr. Ravi has a PhD in Economics from New York University.

Elisabeth RhyneFounder and Managing Director, Center for Financial Inclusion, Accion

Beth is founder and managing director of the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI), a research and action think tank. The CFI’s concerns are to protect and empower clients and to challenge and engage the financial inclusion industry. Beth co-founded the Smart Campaign, which has

helped embed client protection principles throughout the microfinance industry and is now penetrating the broader financial inclusion sector. As SVP of Accion from 2000-2008 she led Accion’s entry into Africa and India, and during the 1990s she led the Microenterprise Initiative at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Beth has written several books and many articles on financial inclusion. These days she also oversees the CFI blog, a lively source of daily news and opinion on the financial inclusion scene. She holds a master’s and Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard and a bachelor’s in history and humanities from Stanford.

Ayandev Saha General Manager, K M Dastur Reinsurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd.

Ayandev Saha is currently associated with K M Dastur Reinsurance Brokers (KMD) at Mumbai, India. Mr. Saha has roughly 10 years of design and implementation experience in universal pension, life, health and agriculture insurance products in Asia and Africa. He has worked extensively in the areas of micro insurance product development, relationship

management and facilitating tie-ups with partners and donors to provide insurance solutions to the low income households. He has spent several years working in the mainstream insurance sector at Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance. Over the years, Ayandev has advised governments and regulators in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa and India on various social security schemes, insurance regulations and strategies for building mass markets. In August 2015, Mr. Saha worked for USAID - FAIDA (Financial Access for Investing in the Development of Afghanistan) project.

Dr. Santadarshan SadhuResearch Scientist, NORC, University of Chicago Dr. Santadarshan Sadhu is a Research Scientist in NORC at the University of Chicago - a non-profit research institution affiliated with the University of Chicago pursuing research to serve the public interest. During the past 7 years, Dr. Sadhu has undertaken several research studies on financial inclusion and served as the Principal Investigator in three randomized impact

evaluations of financial literacy training in India. Findings from Dr. Sadhu’s research on financial literacy indicate that financial literacy training can significantly increase savings of clients who have access to doorstep banking. Dr. Sadhu’s present research interest focuses on assessing the impact of agri-value chain interventions on smallholder farmers and designing innovative and cost-effective models of delivering financial literacy training to low income and hard to reach population.

Deepak SaksenaHead of Partnerships-Water Business,Hindustan Uniliver Limited

Deepak Saksena-a pharmacist, is currently “Head of Partnerships-Water Business” at Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL) where he is responsible for forging sustainable Global partnerships with Social businesses, NGO’s, MFI’s, and Govt.

programs to reach low income households with safe drinking water solutions. The Unilever Safe Water program is a promising work in progress model of Sustainable Business that is extensively studied and reported by Social consulting firms such as Hystra & Intellecap, reputed academic Institutions such as Harvard Business School & London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and has been described in detail in Published books such as “Everybody’s Business” by British Authors Jon Miller & Lucy Parker. Prior to joining Unilever in September 2009, he was Country director-India of the USAID funded AED/POUZN project.

Dr. Kalpana Sankar Managing Director, BELSTAR Investment and Finance Pvt.Ltd & Managing Trustee, Hand in Hand

Dr Kalpana Sankar is currently the Managing Director of BELSTAR Investment and Finance Pvt.Ltd. and also she is the Managing Trustee of Hand in Hand India since 2004, being one of its co-founders. She has been involved in the self-help group movement for 21 years and has specialized in participatory

assessment, gender differentiated impact and monitoring tools. She has been a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for IFAD and was Consultant with UNOPS, UNDP, Christian Aid and Wetlands International and microfinance issues. She has also been Consultant with the South African government and supported poverty reduction, job creation and microfinance programmes in Afghanistan and Brazil. Dr Sankar has authored publications on child labour, microfinance and self-help groups. She has an Executive MBA from TRIUM, where she was the first recipient of a scholarship to pursue the programme.

Meera Sanyal National Executive Member AAP & Former Chairperson RBS India

Meera is one of India’s highly respected bankers who stepped down from her role as CEO and Chairperson of RBS India in Dec 2013, to enter public service. She joined the Aam Aadmi Party and is a member of the National Committee on Economic Policy. A banker for 30 years, with a wide array of experience

ranging from Investment Banking to Operations & IT, Meera has a keen interest in Public Policy & Governance, Financial Inclusion and Women’s Empowerment and a deep understanding of the economic, social and political situation in India.Meera is a member of Secretary Clinton’s International Council on Women’s Business Leadership (ICWBL). She is President of the Jaihind College Board, on the International Board of Right to Play and the National Boards of Pradan, and Liberals India for Good Governance- the Indian Liberal Group. She chairs the Urban Development Committee of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber.

P. SatishExecutive Director, Sa-Dhan

Mr. P. Satish is the Executive Director of Sa-Dhan. Earlier he was the Chief General Manager heading the Micro Credit Innovations Department of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Prior to this he headed its Maharashtra Regional Office at Pune. He also headed the

Finance Department of NABARD at its Head Office and had worked in the area of rural infrastructure financing. As a Faculty Member at Bankers’ Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) he was instrumental in designing and conducting numerous training and capacity building programmes in the field of microfinance and has grassroots level experience, having worked as NABARD’s District Development Manager in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Initially he was with Reserve Bank of India. Mr.Satish was a Director on the Board of Multi-Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) for three terms and was also onthe Boards of MITCON Consultants Ltd. and NABARD Financial Services Ltd (NABFINS).

Ravi ShankarHead, Bharat Banking, IDFC Bank

At IDFC Bank, Ravi heads the Bharat Banking business, which provides banking services to the urban and rural mass market. The Bharat Banking division runs a network of branches & Micro ATMS, in towns and villages across the country offering banking services to low and middle income households, famers and micro enterprises. He has over 30 years of marketing & sales experience

across sectors including retail finance, business consulting, advertising, automotive, aviation, etc. Prior to joining IDFC Bank, Ravi was Head of Business & Marketing at Fullerton India Credit Co. Ltd. In this role, he was responsible for both urban and rural businesses along with Marketing, Corporate Communications and CSR.

Manoj Sharma Managing Director , MicroSave

Manoj K Sharma is MicroSave’s Managing Director and has been working in the field of development finance for more than 20 years. At MicroSave, an advisory and consulting company working in the field of financial inclusion, he manages the Asia-Pacific region. Manoj has extensive

experience in the field of financial inclusion, agent based outreach channels, risk and fraud management and client protection in DFS. He has also been supporting the move towards digitisation of government benefits and direct cash transfer to target customer segments. Manoj’s interest lies in financial inclusion, more specifically in the development of innovative products and in technology based delivery channels to enable financial services to be sustainably delivered to low income segments.

Neeraj SharmaMD & CEO, Indian School Finance Company

Neeraj sharma is Managing Director and CEO of Indian school Finance company. He is a Chartered accountant and Cost accountant with 21 years of rich experience across industries. Before ISFC, he has served as Head Treasury of Fullerton India and AIG Consumer Finance. He also worked in various capacities with Ballarpur Industries, Fibcom India, Bridgestone

India and ACC Limited. He joined ISFC when it was just a concept and today ISFC has grown manifold and taking inspiration from the success of ISFC, many other NBFCs have started funding education segment which was considered a negative sector sometime back.

Vipin SharmaCEO, ACCESS Development Services

Vipin Sharma is the founding CEO of ACCESS, set up in 2006. Starting his career with the Reserve Bank of India, Vipin has thirty six years of experience in banking, agriculture and rural development, micro enterprise development and microfinance in varied institutions including NABARD, Rural Non- Farm

Development Agency (RUDA), Govt of Rajasthan and CARE India. As Executive Director of RUDA, Vipin helped the Govt of Rajasthan to develop strategies for promoting non farm sector in the state through a sub-sector approach. At CARE, Vipin was the Programme Director of the Microfinance Unit and a part of the Regional Leadership Team. In the last ten years, Vipin has also helped to setup two specialized affiliates of ACCESS viz. ACCESS-ASSIST to support and advance financial inclusion in India and Ode to Earth to help primary producers sell their products in mainstream markets. Vipin is a member of the Smart Campaign Steering Committee, working on issues relating to client protection.

Nilesh Shrivastava Manager, Financial Institutions Portfolio South Asia, International Finance Corporation, IFC

Nilesh Shrivastava heads the financial institutions investments portfolio for IFC in South Asia covering India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries. He has been working in the financial sector for over 17 years and has

a decade of experience with IFC, investing and worsking closely with banks, financial institutions and payments companies across South Asia. Currently he manages investments aggregating over $2 Bn spanning early stage and mature clients across the financial services spectrum. Earlier, he has worked with HSBC in banking roles. He holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata and an engineering degree from Lucknow University.

Dr. Anand ShrivastavFounder, Beam Money & Chairman BCFI

Anand is the founder of Beam Money, Member of the Reserve Bank of India’s FIAC and Genesis Biogen. He is also Chairman of not-for-profits viz. Business Correspondent Federation of India-BCFI, Social Economic Empowerment Development Foundation-SEED and member of World Bank’s Responsible Finance Forum. Prior to Beam, Anand has held

board positions in several prestigious organizations including The Homes Stores, Intercorp Biotech, besides PSUs like Kerala State Drugs & Pharmaceuticals and Kerala Sops & Detergents. He was won the 2012 Global Prepaid Award. Anand has co-authored book on “Microfinance - Emerging Trends & Challenges” along with Prof Sunderesan of Columbia University, as well as authored several articles on Financial Inclusion. He is a regular speaker at institutions like Columbia University and IIMs etc.

Govind SinghFounder MD & CEO, Utkarsh Micro Finance Ltd.

Mr. Govind Singh, the Founder and MD & CEO of Utkarsh Micro Finance Ltd., a Varanasi based NBFC-MFI; has vast experience of over 3 decades in different domains of banking and financial services. His mission to establish a reliable, scalable and sustainable institution for providing affordable

& accessible financial services facilitating socioeconomic change had resulted in setting up Utkarsh Micro Finance in Sep 2009. Recently, RBI has accorded in-principle license for setting up a Small Finance Bank by Utkarsh. He was a member of the Working Group to Review the Business Correspondent (BC) Model in India. Prior to setting up Utkarsh, his last assignment was with ICICI Bank Limited in Rural, Micro & Agri-Business Group as the Business Head for Micro Banking. Earlier he was in Retail Liabilities Group and in Retail Infrastructure Group with ICICI Bank. Prior to that he worked with UTI Bank Ltd. (Axis Bank).

Porush SinghCountry Corporate Officer, India and Division President, South Asia Mastercard

As Country Corporate Officer, India and Division President, South Asia for Mastercard, Porush Singh is responsible for driving core business growth and capitalizing on the nascent but fast-growing emerging payments opportunities in South Asia. He will continue to deliver innovative solutions

in the payments industry to achieve Mastercard’s vision of a world beyond cash. Prior to this new role, Porush was Senior Vice President and Group Head, Core Products, Global Products & Solutions for Mastercard Asia Pacific. In this capacity, he led the development and management of consumer and commercial products for Asia Pacific, including debit, credit, commercial, prepaid and loyalty solutions.

Frances Sinha Director, M-CRIL/EDA Rural Systems

Frances Sinha is director of M-CRIL, India, the leading specialist agency for rating and other audit, research and training services in microfinance, financial inclusion and other development sectors. A graduate (some time ago!) from Oxford University and the London School of Economics,

Frances has lived in India for 30 years, working across the country and in other countries in Asia and Africa. In the course of her career, she has engaged with many different stakeholders in financial inclusion, microfinance and livelihoods: clients, staff, managers and boards, in MFIs, cooperatives, apex banks, banks. She has an established track record in research and evaluation, as well as training, with a particular focus on poverty and gender issues, product design, institutional and reporting systems.

M S Sriram Visiting faculty, Centre for Public Policy, IIM - Bangalore

M S Sriram is currently visiting faculty at IIM Bangalore. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for Development of Research in Banking Technology – an institute set up by the Reserve Bank of India. Prior to this he was the ICICI Bank Lalita D Gupte Chair professor in Microfinance and the Chairperson of Finance and Accounting Area at the Indian

Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He has been Visiting Professor, at Centre Emile Bernheim, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Brussels, Belgium. Sriram has served on several expert committees appointed by the Indian Government, Reserve Bank and NABARD, including on the Task Force on revival of Rural Cooperative Credit Institutions (Vaidyanathan Committee) and the external advisory committee of the RBI that was evaluating the licenses for Small Finance Banks. He currently chairs the expert committee on Kerala Cooperative Bank.

Girija SrinivasanSector Expert.

Girija Srinivasan, consults in the area of rural finance and livelihoods. She has special interests in the community owned institutions. After serving NABARD for 14 years, she took up consulting and established herself as a leading rural finance consultant, advising IFAD, GIZ, CARE, SIDBI, Frankfurt School of Management etc. She has been involved in the project

design, appraisal and evaluation apart from providing implementation support to many donor funded projects. Apart from India she has worked in seven other countries. She is also on the Boards of microfinance and technical support institutions. She has authored several publications.

N. Srinivasan Sector Expert

N. Srinivasan has been a development banker for 30 years in Reserve Bank of India and NABARD – He holds a master’s degree in economics and is a certified trainer. Since leaving NABARD eight years ago, he has been involved in design, supervision and evaluation of policy, strategy and implementation of several development finance and rural

development projects in India and abroad. currently serves as an independent director on the boards of one small finance bank, three companies, three development trusts, industry bodies dealing with microfinance and rural finance. He has been a member of the Indian Microfinance Equity Fund supervisory board (SIDBI/GOI) for over three years. He is a member of Inclusive Finance India platform advisory group that organizes the annual Inclusive Finance India summit. As an international development finance expert, he works with World Bank, IFAD, CGAP, GIZ, KFW, Microsave and other principals as a consultant and advisor.

Preeti TelangCEO, Swadhaar FinAccess Preeti is the CEO of Swadhaar FinAcess and has been instrumental in building financial capability and financial inclusion programs. She has over twenty years of experience in field of Development communication with nine years of experience in Financial Inclusion space in leadership role, with

specialised experience in capability building of the clients from the bottom of pyramid. She was involved in spearheading the Financial Education Programme and setting up the Financial Inclusion and Literacy Centres (FILC). Currently her focus is on digital financial education so that the programme can scale and be sustainable. She also leads all the customer protection, social performance initiatives in Swadhaar. Preeti holds a MBA degree in Social Entrepreneurship and Masters of Social Work from Mumbai University, India.

J.K.Thakar General Manager (Financial Inclusion), State Bank of India

J.K.Thakar is General Manager (Financial Inclusion) in SBI Corporate office. He has over 35 years experience in banking and currently looking after financial inclusion function in SBI. He has been actively associated with various Working Groups, Committees and Study groups to drive financial inclusion in the country. SBI strong presence in rural areas and PMJDY drive

has enabled the Bank to capture mass market which will bring comprehensive financial inclusion in a big way.

K Paul Thomas Founder and CMD, ESAF Microfinance

K Paul Thomas, the Founder and Chairman of ESAF Group of Companies including ESAF Microfinance. Paul’s consultancy is sought by various social investors, debt investors, networks, technical providers in the microfinance sector. He has been in the forefront to facilitate the formation of

KAMFI-Kerala Association of Microfinance Institutions which has been formed to lessen competitiveness amongst the MFIs and inculcate social values of Microfinance. Paul has been invited by National and International Academic and Research Institutions and Business Schools such as IIM, ILO-Geneva,European Microfinance Platform, Harvard Business School etc to share the lessons learnt on innovative inclusive finance model. He is bestowed with several awards including the Dhanam Marketing Man of the Year 2015, CEO Excellence Award by DC Media in August 2015 apart from various other awards being received by ESAF.

Sasidhar ThumuluriChief Operating Officer, BASIX Sub - K iTransactions

Sasidhar has over 17 years of experience in financial inclusion and capital markets in 20+ countries. He started his career at BASIX where he was instrumental in designing and executing various innovative programs in microfinance and rural livelihoods. He rejoined the group in March 2014 and currently runs day-to-day business of Sub-K, a digital finance

subsidiary that leverages mobile technology and local entrepreneurship to offer last mile banking and payment solutions. Previously, at International Financial Corporation South Asia, he led agri finance, housing finance and SME finance advisory verticals. At Microvest Capital Management in Bethesda MD, he had built and managed a large impact investment portfolio in Asia, Africa and Europe. He did his Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University, USA. He is an MBA from Indian Institute of Forest Management Bhopal and a B.A. agricultural sciences from Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University Hyderabad.

P N VasudevanMD & CEO, Equitas Holdings Limited

P N Vasudevan is the MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank, Chennai. Vasudevan started Equitas in 2007 as a Micro Finance Institution and later diversified into other retail lending addressing the segments that are not effectively addressed by other mainstream lenders. In 2015, Equitas

received an in-principle license for RBI to convert in to a Bank Prior to this, Vasudevan worked at DCB Bank Ltd, Mumbai as Executive Vice President and Head Consumer Banking for a little less than 2 years. Earlier to that, he worked in Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co Ltd, Chennai for about 20 years. He had commenced vehicle finance in Cholamandalam in the year 1991 and ran it till 2005.

Maya VengurlekarChief Operating Officer, CRISIL Foundation

Maya Vengurlekar leads the CRISIL Foundation. In her current role, role as Chief Operating Officer, Maya oversees CRISIL’s CSR initiatives pertaining to financial inclusion, women’s empowerment environment conservation and education. Additionally, Maya is responsible for CRISIL’s Public Affairs

agenda. A keen proponent of women’s empowerment, Maya is a member of the advisory Board for ‘FemPower’, the woman’s wing of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce focusing on networking, mentorship and advocacy to empower women. Maya has a degree in commerce from Mumbai University and an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune.

Ratna Vishwanathan CEO, Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) Ratna Vishwanathan has been serving MFIN as the CEO since June last year. Prior to this, for a year she was the designated Deputy CEO and Compliance Officer on behalf of the RBI after MFIN was assigned to be a SRO. She brings to MFIN a combination of government and development

sector experience. Belonging to the 1987 batch of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Ms. Vishwanathan comes with extensive experience across a range of departments of the Government of India including Defense and Prasar Bharti. In the development sector she has served at very senior levels in well-known international NGOs such as Oxfam and VSO. She steered these entities through critical change management processes as they transitioned from international liaison offices to ‘full-fledged Indian entities’.

Jayshree Vyas Managing Director, Shree Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank

Ms. Jayshree Vyas is a professionally qualified Chartered Accountant and Managing Director of Shree Mahila Sewa Sahakari Bank. During her tenure, she introduced an Integrated Micro Insurance Scheme for women working in the informal sector. In the year 2001, financial literacy

programme was introduced in Sewa Bank, first of its kind in India at initiative of Ms. Jayshree Vyas. In the year 2006, Micro Pension Scheme was introduced for Sewa Bank Members (Unorganized sector workers) under her leadership. She was the Executive Director in Indian School of Micro finance for Women (ISMW, Ahmedabad). She is a Board Director in Ananya Finance for Inclusive Growth Pvt. Ltd, TFC (Trade Facilitation Center) and BSS Microfinance Private Limited and Gujarat Urban Cooperative Bank Federation. She is also the Managing Trustee of Mahila Housing Trust and a Member of Advisory Committee of SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) Investors Protection and Education Fund (IPEF).

Sarat Yadav Deputy General Manager, Rural & Inclusive Banking, ICICI Bank Ltd.

Sarat is currently looking after the Retail Agri (Kisan Credit Card) and Direct Micro Finance through SHG Bank Linkage program in Rural & Inclusive Banking Group, ICICI Bank. He joined ICICI Bank in the year 2006 and has been part of it’s Rural & Inclusive Banking Group.Have cross-functional

experience in Rural Retail, Farm Equipment, Commodity Finance, Microfinance and Financial Inclusion. A Management Graduate from IRMA with more than 18 years’ experience in Agri & Rural market, in the Banking, Insurance and Dairy industries. Prior to joining ICICI Bank, he worked for five years with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and then had a stint of three years with HDFC Chubb General Insurance (now HDFC Ergo GIC) launching their Rural foray.

Tara NathanExecutive Vice President, Public Private Partnerships, Master card

Tara Nathan is executive vice president, Public Private Partnerships Vertical. In this role, she leads the Mastercard strategy to build partnerships with governments and international development organizations. Prior to this role,

Ms. Nathan served as chief executive officer of Mobile Payment Solutions, a Mastercard/Smart Hub, Inc. joint venture. In this role, she led the innovation and commercial development of the MasterCard Mobile Payments Gateway, an open mobile payment processing platform designed to facilitate mobile payments for consumers around the world, particularly important for consumers in emerging economies who do not have access to modern forms of commerce.Before joining Mastercard, Ms. Nathan headed Citicard’s cross-sell business and also held various management roles across Citigroup’s retail banking business including Commercial Banking, Risk and Operations. Prior to Citi, Ms. Nathan was a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service serving posts in Taiwan, Japan and China.

Elliot RosenbergVice President, Business Development, Awaaz.De

Elliot’s life mission is to use business against poverty. Currently he leads Business Development at Awaaz.De, helping organizations use simple technologies to share vital information with anyone on any phone in any language. Before Awaaz.De, he backpacked across 17 Asian countries over 15 months to learn from pioneering social enterprises.

Previously, he founded Favela Experience, offering culturally immersive homestays to travelers in Brazil’s marginalized favela communities. He has been featured for his work in The Hindu Business Line, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, and CNN and is a StartingBloc fellow. Originally from Los Angeles, he graduated in 2013 with a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia.

Radhika Agashe Executive Director, ACCESS-ASSIST

Radhika is the Executive Director of ACCESS-ASSIST and has led the transition of the microfinance portfolio and resources from ACCESS into ASSIST. She specializes in microfinance operations and social performance management, social research, financial education and training and curriculum development. She has coordinated various discussions and

studies for policy advocacy for an enabling institutional and regulatory framework for promoting responsible financial inclusion. She holds a Post Graduate degree from the Indian Institute of Forest Management. She is an active member on Working Groups of Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) and represents ASSIST on the Responsible Finance Forum led by the IFC. She has in the past been associated with many organizations of repute such as EDA Rural Systems, BASIX, Intellecap and Sambodhi Research & Communications.

Madnesh Kumar Mishra Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Govt. Of India

Madnesh currently serves as the Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance. Prior to this, he was the Additional Director General, National Academy of Direct Taxes. An Indian Revenue Services officer, he has done his B.Tech in Production Engineering and holds a Ph.D in

Organizational Behavior from XLRI, Jamshedpur. He has been associated with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as the Executive Director of the Sports Authority of India and has worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Dope Testing Lab of the Sports Authority of India. He has represented India on Anti-Doping at various international levels being the Founding Member of the World Anti Doping Agency, Montreal and for drafting of International Convention against Doping in Sports in UNESCO. He has also presented papers in various seminars on the practice of YOGA.


Sponsors


The World Bank Group encompasses five closely associated development institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Each arm plays a different but supportive role in the World Bank Group’s twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. Three of these entities work actively in India: IBRD, IDA and IFC. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) was established in 1944 and is a global development cooperative owned by its 188 member countries. It aims to reduce poverty in middle-income countries and creditworthy poorer countries by promoting sustainable development through loans, guarantees, risk management products, and analytical and advisory services. IBRD works with its

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

MetLife Foundation

The World Bank Group

MetLife was founded on a simple, powerful insight: Everyone needs access to the right financial tools to achieve their goals. In 2013, this understanding inspired MetLife Foundation to refocus its grant making toward financial inclusion, committing $200 million over five years to ensure that more people across the globe have access to the quality financial services they need to build better lives. As of 2015, MetLife Foundation has committed more than $100 million towards that goal. The Foundation’s strategy focuses on grants to organizations committed to improving the quality and availability of financial services for low-income individuals and businesses. MetLife Foundation is proud to work with some of the best organizations in the financial inclusion field, in both developing and developed economies. MetLife Foundation grants support approaches that help low-and moderate-income people prepare for life’s inevitable challenges, take advantage of opportunities, and achieve their short- and long-term goals. Since its creation in 1976, MetLife Foundation has provided more than $700 million in grants and $70 million in program-related investments to organizations addressing issues that have a positive impact in their communities.

To learn more about MetLife Foundation and our partners, visit www.metlife.org


members to achieve equitable and sustainable economic growth in their national economies and to find solutions to pressing regional and global problems in development. In India, IBRD supports projects across a range of sectors, including energy, transport, water supply, river-clean up etc. The International Development Association (IDA) is the largest multilateral source of concessional financing and focuses on the poorest countries in the world. IDA lends money on concessional terms charging little or no interest and repayments are over 25 to 38 years, including a 5- to 10-year grace period. IDA also provides grants to countries at risk of debt distress. IDA’s funding supports countries’ efforts to increase economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve the living conditions of the poor. In India IDA projects support the Government of India’s program in social sectors such as health, education, social protection, rural livelihoods etc. International Finance Corporation, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our capital, expertise, and influence, to create opportunity where it’s needed most. In FY15, our long-term investments in developing countries rose to nearly $18 billion, helping the private sector play an essential role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. The World Bank Group in IndiaIndia is home to the largest operations of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Recognizing India as a key partner in ending global poverty, the International Development Association (IDA) deputies have provided Transitional IDA funds worth $3.4 billion for the next three years. For International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) lending, the single borrower limit for India has recently been increased to $20 billion from $17.5 billion, and the Government of India agreement to purchase Special Private Placement Bonds of up to $4.3 billion — all geared to help create additional borrowing options for India.

TEChNoLoGy SoLUTIoNS PARTNER

Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), http:// www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Pioneers Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

CoRE SPoNSoRS

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It was launched in 2000 and is said to be the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world.

The primary aims of the foundation are, globally, to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology. The foundation, based in Seattle, Washington, is controlled by its three trustees: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett. Other principal officers include Co-Chair William H. Gates, Sr. and Chief Executive Officer Susan Desmond-Hellmann. Guided by the belief that all lives have equal value, the foundation’s goal is to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. The foundation addresses the greatest obstacles to people living healthy, productive lives and focus on issues where they think they can have the greatest impact. Whether the challenge is low-yield crops in Africa or low graduation rates in Los Angeles, the foundation listens and learns so they can identify pressing problems that get too little attention. Then they consider whether they can use their influence and their investments to make a meaningful difference. The foundation works with partner organizations worldwide to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live a healthy, productive life. To help achieve their vision, they have four key missions:

• Inspire people to take action to change the world• Ensure more children and young people survive and thrive• Combat infectious diseases that particularly affect the poorest• Empower the poorest, especially women and girls, to transform their

lives To date, the foundation has provided more than US$36 billion to address extreme poverty, disease, and educational inequity around the world. The governing principle behind their spending is to invest in people and programs that can spur progress on a larger scale within communities, countries, and regions. The foundation’s work in India began more than a decade ago with an HIV prevention initiative. Since then, their health-related efforts have expanded to include maternal and child health, nutrition, vaccines and routine immunization, family planning, and control of selected infectious diseases. They work to tackle critical health challenges that affect millions of people throughout India despite the country’s remarkable development in recent years. Apart from health, they have expanded focus on key areas


that will affect the future of India’s most vulnerable communities, including sanitation, agricultural development, and financial inclusion.

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Founded in 1999, the central mission of the US-based Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is transforming the lives of children living in urban poverty through better education, family economic stability and health.

The foundation opened its India office in 2006 to foster high-quality education and improve family economic stability among India’s urban poor. Employing a range of financial tools, from traditional philanthropic grants to mission-driven impact investments – the foundation aims to have an immediate and measurable positive impact on the lives of individual children, while at the same time catalyzing systemic change. To those ends, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation partners with a range of stakeholders, including governments, businesses, NGOs, implementation experts, community organizations and other philanthropies.

Since 2006, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has invested more than INR 983 crores in non-profits and social enterprises in India. Learn more at http://www.msdf.org/india

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the Principal Financial Institution for the Promotion, Financing and Development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector and also Co-ordinates of the functions of the institutions engaged in similar activities.

The business domain of SIDBI consists of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which contribute significantly to the national economy in terms of production, employment and exports. MSME sector is an important pillar of Indian economy with around 4.6 crore units spread across geographies, creating employment opportunities for over 11 crore persons, manufacturing over 6,000 products, contributing about 45% of manufacturing output and about 40% of exports in terms of value, and about 37% of GDP, both directly and indirectly.

In order to promote and develop the MSME sector, SIDBI adopts a ‘Credit+’ approach, under which, besides credit, SIDBI supports both

Entrepreneurship and Enterprise development, Skill Upgradation, Marketing Support, Cluster Development, Technology Modernisation, etc., in the MSME sector through its promotional and developmental support programmes.

SIDBI is the apex wholesaler for micro finance in India providing a complete range of financial and non-financial services such as loan funds, grant support, equity and institution building support to the retailing Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) so as to facilitate their development into financially sustainable entities, besides developing a network of service providers for the sector. To support Microfinance activities, SIDBI has established a dedicated ‘SIDBI Foundation for Micro Credit’ Vertical (SFMCV).

SFMCV is also playing significant role in advocating appropriate policies and regulations and to act as a platform for exchange of information across the sector. Operations of SIDBI/SFMCV in the coming years, are expected to further contribute significantly towards development of a more formal, extensive, effective and sustainable micro finance sector serving the poor in India with focus on innovation and action research.

India Microfinance Equity Fund (IMEF)

To facilitate increasing access of MFIs to formal financing, GoI intervened with creation of a Rs.100 crore Fund, viz., IMEF in the FY 2012, operated through SIDBI, to strengthen capitalization of smaller, socially oriented MFIs, especially in underserved states/areas. The allocation under IMEF has been increased by Rs. 200 crore in FY 2013-14. The assistance under the Fund is expected to help the MFIs leverage more debt funds from the banks and financial institutions and help in increased flow of assistance to the poor in the unserved/underserved areas of the country.

The Fund is being utilised for extending equity or any other form of capital, viz., quasi-equity or subordinated debt to Tier – II and Tier – III NBFC MFIs and all Non-NBFC MFIs, with a focus on smaller socially oriented MFIs/NBFCs.

Co SPoNSoRS

Au FINANCIERs

Au FINANCIERS (INDIA) LIMITED is a Non-Banking Finance Company, registered with Reserve Bank of India, incorporated in the year 1996 under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 by Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, MD & Promoter of the group.

The Company provides the best, consistent, customized and trustworthy financial services to unreached, unbanked rural and emerging masses in semi-urban and rural India. The Company has a wide network of around 300 branches across ten states, right down to tehsils/villages reaching out to more than 4.5 Lakhs satisfied customers.


Au was awarded in-principle approval from RBI for SFB licence last year. Au is expecting the final approval from RBI very soon and plans to launch banking operations by April 2017 with 300 branch network across 10 states in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Goa.

Commencement of Au’s Banking journey will result in sustainable growth. It will provide one-stop solution to all the financial needs of people in rural and semi urban areas while contributing towards equal economic development, supporting MSME sector and employment generation in the country

d.light Energy Private Limited

d.light is a global leader in solar-powered solutions for people without access to reliable electricity. We are also the largest distributed solar lighting brand for households and small businesses in off-grid communities. Our innovative, affordable solar-energy solutions are transforming the way people all over the world use and pay for energy.

d.light was founded in 2007 by Sam Goldman and Ned Tozun with the goal of eliminating kerosene as a home energy source and is now looking to transform the way people use and pay for energy around the world. It has developed a suite of products that range from single-function lanterns for reading and ambient light, to more advanced multi-function solar light solutions and full home systems.

By replacing a kerosene lamp with a d.light product, a consumer can expect monthly cost savings of up to 10-25%, increased health and safety from the elimination of kerosene fumes and fires, and increased productivity due to the superior quality of light. In total, d.light’s lanterns have allowed customers to save more than $5 billion in energy-related expenses. 23 million tons of carbon emissions have been offset and 34 billion hours have been created for working and studying.

Through 10 field offices and four hubs in Africa, China, South Asia and the United States, d.light has sold over 13 million solar light and power products in 62 countries, impacting the lives of almost 65 million people. d.light is dedicated to providing the most reliable, affordable and accessible solar lighting and power systems for the developing world and reaching 100 million people by 2020.

The hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (hSBC)

About hSBC India The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in India offers a full range of banking and financial services through 42 branches across 21 cities.

HSBC is one of India’s leading financial services groups, with over 33,000 employees in its banking, investment banking and capital markets, asset management, insurance, software development and global resourcing operations in the country. It is a leading custodian in India. Nearly 6% of India’s trade passes through HSBC. The Bank is at the forefront in arranging deals for Indian companies investing overseas and foreign investments into the country.

hSBC holdings plcHSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 4,400 offices in 71 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,557bn at 30 September 2016, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.

IDFC Bank

IDFC Bank is a subsidiary of IDFC Limited. Headquartered in Mumbai, IDFC Bank is a universal bank, offering financial solutions through its nationwide branches, internet and mobile. Envisioned as a new age bank, IDFC Bank seeks to set a new standard in customer experience, using technology and a service-oriented approach, to make banking simple and accessible, anytime and from anywhere. In keeping with IDFC’s legacy of building the nation, IDFC Bank is focused on serving the rural underserved communities and the self-employed, while continuing to support the country’s infrastructure sector. IDFC Bank provides customized financial solutions to corporates, individuals, small and micro-enterprises, entrepreneurs, financial institutions and the government. With best-in-class corporate governance, rigorous risk management, experienced management and a diversified team, IDFC Bank is uniquely positioned to meet the aspirations of its customers and stakeholders. www.idfcbank.com or Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn


National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

NABARD is India’s apex development financial institution, formed by an Act of Parliament in 1982. NABARD’s mandate is bringing rural prosperity through credit and non-credit initiatives in the fields of agriculture, cottage and village industries, handicrafts and small scale industries. From being a pure refinance provider in 1982 to India’s apex level development financial institution, NABARD today directly and indirectly touch lives of millions in rural India. We have traversed a long journey and are today engaged with various facets of Indian building, in our own humble way.

NABARD initiatives are aimed at building an empowered and financial inclusive rural India through specific goal oriented departments which can be categorized broadly into three heads: Financial, Developmental and Supervision, touch almost every aspect of rural economy. From providing refinance support to building rural infrastructure, from preparing district level credit plans to guiding and motivating the banking industry in achieving these targets, from supervising Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) to helping them develop sound banking practices and onboarding CBS platform, from designing new development schemes to acting as a conduit for the implementation of Goi’s development schemes, training handicraft artisans to providing them a marketing platform for selling these articles’ we touch millions of rural lives across the country and we are proud of it.

Financial Inclusion has been our primary corporate goal since our inception and we have pursued that goal through many channels and projects. The Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) set up in NABARD by GoI have given shape to hundreds of developmental and promotional interventions to secure greater financial inclusion and support suitable technology and innovations.

NABARD has been able to make a difference in the lives of people of rural India and emerged as a reliable, transparent, innovative and financial strong organization working towards its mandate encapsulated in four simple words – TAKING RURAL INDIA FORWARD.

Supported under FIF Managed by NABARD

Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. Omidyar Network has committed more than $1 billion to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple initiatives, including Consumer Internet & Mobile, Education, Financial Inclusion, Governance & Citizen Engagement, and Property Rights. To learn more, visit www.omidyar.com, and follow on Twitter @omidyarnetwork #PositiveReturns.

Sun King

Greenlight Planet is a company on a mission to provide clean, honest and affordable energy to the 2 billion people living off the electric grid. Under the brand name Sun KingTM, Greenlight planet has sold over 6 million Sun King Lamps to over 20 million happy customers. We are currently present in 54 countries.

Recently named “the best solar lamp” by The Economist, our products are quality, durable and sustainable.

Sun King solar lighting systems and lamps are sold through a unique direct sales force of trusted, local sales agents that penetrate deeply into rural markets to promote effective availability of our products and build trust in our brand.

We care about making renewable solar energy easily accessible to our consumer, and helping more family reach their desired aspirations without compromising their homes and health.


KNoWLEDGE PARTNER

Rabo Bank

Rabobank Group (“Rabobank”) is an international full-range financial services provider founded on cooperative principles more than 110 years ago. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the Group’s operations include banking, asset management, leasing, insurance and real estate services, serving over 8 million clients in 40 countries. Internationally the Group’s focus is providing financial solutions to food and agribusiness companies and commodity traders. In the Netherlands, Rabobank is a market leader in financial services, catering to all sectors.

In terms of core Tier-1 capital (the core measure of a bank’s financial strength from a regulator’s point of view), Rabobank is among the world’s 30 largest financial institutions and is consistently awarded a high rating by all rating agencies. As per 31 December 2015, Rabobank had EUR 670 bln in assets, with a net profit of EUR 2, 2bln and core Tier-1 ratio of 16.4%.

The Rabobank Foundation was established in 1973 as an independent foundation. The organization is funded by local member Rabobanks and Rabobank Nederland, which donate a small percentage of their profits to the Rabobank Foundation. The Rabobank Foundation helps underprivileged and disadvantaged people to become economically active and independent. The support provided by the Rabobank Foundation reflects Rabobank’s unique history and roots and is consequently focused first and foremost on enabling the development of small co-operatives located in rural regions.

This support is provided through donations, loans, trade financing and technical assistance. In line with Rabobank’s own co-operative background, the Rabobank Foundation especially focuses on establishing and promoting co-operative savings and loan systems.

ASSoCIATE SPoNSoRS

ACCIoN

Accion is a global nonprofit dedicated to building a financially inclusive world with economic opportunity for all, by giving people the financial tools they need to improve their lives. Accion is building the next generation of top-tier microfinance institutions, and over more than 50 years it has helped build 65

such institutions in 32 countries on four continents that today reach millions of clients. Their impact investing initiatives are pushing beyond microfinance to catalyze more than 30 innovative start-ups dedicated to improving the efficiency, reach, and scope of financial services for the poor. Their Center for Financial Inclusion is helping to build a stronger industry with high standards and broad engagement. Currently, the work spans nearly two dozen countries, including the U.S., where they are the nation’s largest nonprofit microfinance network. For further information, visit www.accion.org

Bandhan Bank

Bandhan received the ‘in-principle’ approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for setting up a universal bank in April 2014; the banking regulator gave its final nod in June 2015. Incidentally, Bandhan is the first bank to be set up in eastern part of India after Independence. ShriArunJaitley, Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, inaugurated the bank on August 23, 2015 in Kolkata at a grand function attended by regulators, policy makers and luminaries from financial sector and corporate India.

Bandhan Financial Holdings is owned by Bandhan Financial Services Limited (BFSL), the largest micro finance organization in India. Its public shareholders include among others International Finance Corporation (IFC), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), and an arm of GIC, the sovereign wealth fund of Singapore.

Founded in 2001, under the visionary leadership of Mr. Chandra ShekharGhosh, a senior Ashoka Fellow, BFSL was involved in giving loans to small borrowers who have no access to formal banking services. In past 14 years, BFSL earned credibility and many accolades for financing small entrepreneurs and around 6.7 million women borrowers. Microfinance services were being delivered through a network of 2,022 branches spread across 22 Indian states and Union territories, serviced by over 13,000 employees. As on 31 March, 2015, BFSL had a loan book of around ₹ 9,524 crore and an impressive repayment rate of over 99%.

Bandhan Bank is driven by a constant desire to serve better. The 2,022 BFSL branches have been converted into Door step Service Centres(DSCs) for Bandhan Bank which started with 501 branches and 50 ATMs on day one. The Kolkata-headquartered bank has two divisions -- general banking and micro banking, offering a suite of retail financial solutions, including a variety of savings and loan products. Currently, the savings bank account interest rate is 6% for balance above Rs.1 lakh and 4.25% for balance up to Rs.1 lakh. For term deposits, the maximum interest rate offered is 8% for one year with an additional 0.5% for senior citizens.

Presently, Bandhan Bank has 3,351 touch points pan India consisting of 730 bank branches, 2,353 Doorstep Service Centres (DSCs) and 268 ATMs,


serving more than 9.6 million customers. It has a workforce of about 22,000 employees. Since its launch, the bank has collected deposits over Rs. 19,000 crore.

Bandhan Bank seeks to offer its world-class banking products and services to urban, semi-urban and rural customers alike. While it has a pan India presence, the special focus remains on eastern and north-eastern part of India. It is a bank for all but the focus remains unchanged to meet the financial needs of people who are overlooked by the formal banking system and create better education, health care and self-employment opportunities. In sync with the philosophy of ‘AapkaBhala, SabkiBhalai’ and keeping financial inclusion at the heart of it, Bandhan is committed to provide a host of products and services, competitively on a par with India’s top private and state-owned banks.

The success of the organization is measured by the million lives it has touched and the communities that have blossomed with its tireless efforts. Simply put, when you choose to bank with Bandhan, you are choosing to be instrumental in the nation’s larger growth story.

DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Company Limited (DPLI)

DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Company Limited (DPLI) is a joint venture between Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DHFL), one of the leading private housing finance companies in India, and Prudential International Insurance Holdings, Ltd (PIIH), a fully owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (PFI), a financial services leader headquartered in the U.S. It represents the coming together of two renowned financial services organizations with a legacy of business excellence spread over decades. Through its multiple distribution channels, the company is committed to providing protection and quality financial counsel to its customers. The company aims at becoming a significant player in the Financial Inclusion space through its innovative products and cost-effective processes; thus building an outreach program for customers at the bottom of the pyramid. DPLI enables financial literacy & last mile delivery of solutions by putting together an ecosystem of grassroots partnerships comprising institutions such as MFIs, Rural & Cooperative Banks.

• Pramerica is the brand name used in India and select countries by Prudential Financial, Inc.

• Prudential International Insurance Holdings, Ltd. and Prudential Financial, Inc. of the united states are not affiliated with Prudential Plc. a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.

• Pramerica and rock logo are proprietary service marks and may not be used without the permission of the owner

Dia Vikas Capital

Dia Vikas Capital is a subsidiary of global microfinance and enterprise development impact investor – Opportunity International Australia, a member of the Opportunity International Network. Dia Vikas was established in early 2008 as a social investor to fill the gap of social investment and thereby support the growth of Indian microfinance sector and encourage the development of start-up operations in underserved areas. Dia Vikas partners with microfinance institutions to directly touch the lives of millions of people in profound need in an effective and very efficient way. Dia currently partners with 12 socially focused microfinance institutions that serve over 7.72 Million poor through provision of credit, savings, insurance, remittance and pension products. Dia Vikas has been championing the adoption of a strong Social Performance Management and community engagement framework amongst its partner institutions.

IDBI Bank

IDBI Bank Ltd is the youngest, new generation, public sector universal bank that rides on a cutting edge core banking Information Technology platform. The Bank offers personalized banking and financial solutions to its clients in the retail and corporate banking arena through its large network of Branches and ATMs, spread across length and breadth of India. As an Universal Bank, IDBI Bank, besides its retail banking and project finance domain, has an established presence in associated financial sector businesses like Capital Market, Investment Banking, Mutual Fund and Life Insurance Business. The Bank had an aggregate Balance sheet size of Rs.3,74,372 crore and total business of Rs.4,81,613 crore as on March 31, 2016.

IFAD

IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided about US$18 billion in grants and low-interest loans to projects that have reached some 462 million people. IFAD is an international


financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency based in Rome – the UN’s food and agriculture hub. Since 1979, IFAD has invested a total of over $928 million in 27 programmes and projects in India, with a total cost of $2.6 billion including co-financing, directly benefitting 4.4 million households.

IndusInd Bank

IndusInd Bank, which commenced operations in 1994, caters to the needs of both consumer and corporate customers. The Bank believes in driving its business through technology , with its platform supporting multi-channel delivery capabilities. As on September 30, 2016, IndusInd Bank has 1,035 branches, and 1935 ATMs spread across 635 geographical locations of the country. The Bank also has representative offices in London, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Recently, IndusInd Bank ranked 13th amongst the Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2015 as per the BrandZ Top 50 rankings powered by WPP and Millward Brown. The Bank has focus segments within the Commercial and the Consumer Banking groups, carved out to provide affordable financial services in underserved areas in a sustainable yet viable manner. The products are primarily delivered in collaboration with intermediaries who have demonstrated good physical and social reach, thus leveraging on their distribution strength and lowering barriers to financial inclusion. Graduating from savings and credit, its customers are offered vulnerability-reducing products such as insurance & pension and facilitation products like remittances as they achieve financial maturity.

Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN)

Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) was established in October 2009 under the Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act 2001. Recognized as a Self- Regulatory Organisation (SRO) by the RBI, MFIN is an association of RBI regulated NBFCMFIs. MFIN has been supporting an effective framework for responsible lending and client protection for the industry. MFIN works closely with regulators and other key stakeholders and plays an active part in the larger financial inclusion dialogue through the medium of microfinance. VISION: to be an engine of inclusive growth for India and help provide financial services to 100 million low income households by the year 2020, in a responsible and transparent manner, thereby helping them build sustainable livelihoods.

OBJECTIVES: MFIN’s primary objective is to work towards the robust development of the microfinance sector by promoting responsible lending, client protection, good governance and a supportive regulatory environment.

The Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd (MUDRA)

The Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd (MUDRA), is a financial institution set up by Government of India for development and refinancing micro units enterprises. It was announced by the Hon’ble Finance Minister while presenting the Union Budget for FY 2016. To start with, a Non Banking Finance Company as MUDRA Ltd has been set up as a subsidiary of SIDBI. MUDRA would provide refinance to all Last Mile Financiers such as Non-Banking Finance Companies, Societies, Trusts, Section 8 Companies [formerly Section 25], Co-operative Societies, Small Banks, Scheduled Commercial Banks and Regional Rural Banks which are in the business of lending to micro/small business entities engaged in manufacturing, trading and services activities, funded under PMMY. Recently the activities allied to agriculture has also been included as part of MUDRA loan. MUDRA also initiated a scheme to support securitisation of micro loans extended by MFIs and NBFCs.

Under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), MUDRA has created its initial products / schemes. The interventions have been named ‘Shishu’ (covering loans upto 50,000), ‘kishor’(covering loans upto 50,000/) and ‘Tarun’ (covering loans above 5 lakh to 10 lakh)to signify the stage of growth / development and funding needs of the beneficiary micro unit / entrepreneur and also to provide a reference point for the next phase of graduation / growth to look forward to. MUDRA has been monitoring the progress of the programme through a dedicated portal developed for the purpose

A Credit Guarantee Fund called Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Clients (CGFMC) has been established with an initial corpus of Rs. 3000 cr and same has been notified on 18 April, 2016. The fund is managed by NCGTC, a sister institution of MUDRA.


RBL Bank

RBL Bank is one of India’s fastest growing private sector banks with an expanding presence across the country. It currently services over 2 million customers through a network of 201 branches and 373 ATMs spread across 16 Indian states and Union Territories. The Bank has been recognised by the World Economic Forum as a ‘Global Growth Company’ (GCC) for 2014 and has also been awarded “India’s Best Bank (Growth) in the Mid-Sized Bank segment” for four consecutive years, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 and “Best Bank Overall (Small)” for 2015 by Business Today and KPMG. Established in 1943, RBL Bank started a transformational journey under a new management team in 2010. Today, the Bank offers specialised services under six business verticals namely: Corporate & Institutional Banking, Commercial Banking, Branch & Business Banking, Agribusiness Banking, Development Banking and Financial Inclusion, Treasury and Financial Markets Operations. RBL Bank is listed on both NSE and BSE (RBLBANK) . For further details, please visit www.rblbank.com.

Reliance Commercial Finance

Reliance Commercial Finance’s products are targeted towards the self-employed / entrepreneur segment. We at Reliance Commercial Finance have also been providing financial services in the remotest parts of India by partnering with Micro - finance Institutions (MFIs). We offer innovative Micro - Finance solutions at competitive interest rates and minimal documentation at their doorstep. We do wholesale funding to MFIs for on-lending and provide guarantees to help MFIs avail funding from capital markets.

Our customer - centric processes ensure that we honour the commitment of every micro-borrower by perfectly complementing their aspirations and empower them, to help achieve their dream. After all, self-reliance at the grass root level is the first step towards a self-reliant India.our numbers speak for us:We’ve1. Disbursed over Rs. 5000 Crores to over 10 lakh customers in the last 9

years2. Covered more than 2 lakh families with micro-insurance3. Serving the un-banked populace in more than 18 states

Utkarsh Micro Finance Ltd.

Utkarsh Micro Finance Limited is a Non-Banking Financial Company - Micro Finance Institution registered with Reserve Bank of India (under license no B-07-00781). Headquartered at Varanasi, Utkarsh has operations in 10 states viz Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Utkarsh started its operations in September 2009 to provide financial and non-financial services in its area of operations to the unbanked and under-banked population who have the skill but are in need of capital. Initially, it started with credit under Joint Liability Group (JLG) Model. Today, the company has products like Micro Enterprises Loans (MEL), Affordable Housing Loans (AHL) and Micro Pension products in its bouquet. The current outreach of company is over 1.2 million clients with a portfolio of over Rs.1800 crore as at October 31, 2016.

Reserve Bank of India vide its notification no. 2015 -2016 / 693 dated Sep 16, 2015 accorded ‘in – principle’ sanction for setting up a Small Finance Bank by Utkarsh. After having examined the necessary eligibility requirement, Reserve Bank of India has conferred full license for starting Small Finance Bank operation by Utkarsh. The company is the only entity operating out of Hindi heartland of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, headquarter at Varanasi to receive this license within 7 years of its microfinance operations.

The financial inclusion initiatives with Utkarsh Welfare Foundation (a section 25 company) focus on education (Financial Awareness) and health (Poly Clinics and Mobile Van) activities. As a part of its goodwill gesture, the foundation also organizes blood donation camps, support orphanages and elderly homes. Utkarsh Welfare Foundation is committed for comprehensive financial services to empower the livelihood of the underprivileged.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank

Ujjivan Financial Services is a leading microfinance institution (MFI) which started operations as an NBFC in 2005 to provide financial services to the economically active poor. Presently, Ujjivan serves over 32.79 lakh active customers through 469 branches and 8,880 employees spread across 209 districts and 24 states in India – the largest by geography.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Ujjivan Financial Services Limited) has received the final license from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to carry on the Small Finance Bank (SFB) business in


India, subject to the terms and conditions mentioned in the RBI approval letter.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited is expected to commence its banking operations in the first quarter of 2017 after receiving the balance necessary approvals, registrations and licensing from various departments of RBI and other integrated agencies.

For the past eight years, Ujjivan has been consistently ranked among the Top 25 Companies to Work For in India. As per the survey conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute in coordination with The Economic Times, Ujjivan ranked as the 3rd Best Place to Work in India and retained its position as the #1 company in the MFI domain.

Ujjivan reported an 89.69% increase in its Net Profit to INR 73.01 crore for the quarter ended 30th September 2016 and a gross loan book growth of 58.65% to INR 6,485.93 crore. Ujjivan posted a profit after tax of Rs 144.4 crore for the half year ended 30th September 2016

VolkSoft Technologies

Founded by a group of passionate software professionals who come with several years of experience in diverse domains such as real-time trading systems for Stock Markets, Education, Medicare and Manufacturing. VolkSoft has come a long way since its inception in 2002, from product engineering to service delivery, who loved and touched every aspect of the business and mastered the art of delivering quality products and services. Over the years VolkSoft has built enterprise-class solutions that cover the entire inclusive finance domain -- micro lending, micro insurance, micro pensions, micro enterprise lending, P2P lending etc. Moreover, VolkSoft is the only solution provider that has a proper workflow based solution that is built to work in the credit-led BC model, with more number of banks integration, where processes span both banks and MFIs/BCs. Today we have the largest number of MFI credit officers using our mobility solutions both in NBFC MFI and BC models.

To know more about VolkSoft, please visit www.volksoft.in.

TEChNICAL PARTNERS

CGAP

CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) is a global partnership of over 30 leading organizations that seek to advance financial inclusion. CGAP develops innovative solutions through practical research and active engagement with financial service providers, policy makers, and funders to enable approaches at scale. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP combines a pragmatic approach to responsible market development with an evidence-based advocacy platform to increase access to the financial services the poor need to improve their lives. More at www.cgap.org.

CRIF high Mark

CRIF High Mark is India’s leading credit bureau with the largest credit bureau database of individuals in the country. It is the only full service credit bureau covering all borrower segments – MSME/ Commercial, Retail and Microfinance. CRIF High Mark started India’s first Microfinance Bureau in 2011, which has transformed into being World’s largest microfinance database. This pioneering work to support Microfinance industry has been recognized at Manthan Awards 2014 and SKOCH Financial Inclusion Award 2012. CRIF, which owns majority in CRIF High Mark, is a leading FinTech from Continental Europe which specializes in credit information, business information, analytics, scoring, decision and credit management solutions. It has operations in over 50 countries across 4 continents. CRIF in India now also offers Business Information Report, Analytics & Scoring services, and Credit Management and Decision solutions in India.

ideas42

ideas42 is a leader in our field with unique expertise and experience at the forefront of behavioral science. We use this to innovate, drive social change and improve millions of lives. We create fresh solutions to tough issues based on behavioral insights that can be scaled up for the greatest impact. ideas42 also educates leaders and help institutions improve existing programs and policies.


At its core, Behavioral Science helps us understand human behavior and why people make the decisions they do. It teaches us that context matters, that asking the right questions is critical and that simple solutions are often available, but frequently overlooked or dismissed. We work to identify the subtle but important contextual details that can have a disproportionate impact on outcomes.

IFMR LEAD

IFMR LEAD is a non-profit research organisation which conducts evidence-based, policy oriented, scalable action research to further inclusive growth and sustainable development in India and other low-to-middle income countries. Our research and outreach efforts seek to drive and support large-scale impact, in socio-economic and environmental domains, academic research, and through building capacities of development practitioners, policymakers and researchers.

We are passionate about social and economic change driven through data and expert strategy insights based on our research findings in the development sector. We aim to provide in-depth understanding of complex issues through fit for purpose evaluations and methodologies. Since its inception in 2005, IFMR LEAD has conducted over 150 studies, in collaboration with a cross-section of stakeholders including Governments, donor agencies, think-tanks, financial institutions, corporates and corporate foundations.

Prime M2i Consulting Private Limited (M2i)

Prime M2i Consulting Private Limited (M2i) was incorporated in March 2006. M2i brings in best application of modern management principles to enable enterprises and projects achieve their objectives, improve their efficiency and integrate with the market. We continuously assimilate knowledge from diverse fields and build on the existing body of knowledge. We use rigorous analysis to solve complex management problems, while maintaining absolute clarity in the recommendations we make. Our processes are designed to ensure a rewarding experience for our clients, as well as, for us. We interact closely with our clients to provide customized solutions. While we emphasize on innovations, we follow them up with rigorous validation and standardization to ensure sustainability of these innovations.

M2i has been working in the field of financial inclusion since 2006. We have worked with a number of MFIs, banks, equity investors, donors, NGOs and

industry associations on a variety of projects. The M2i team has in-depth knowledge of financial inclusion, with experience in Risk Management, financial linkages of community groups, impact evaluation and training, with a focus on ‘double bottom line’ management, including social performance management (SPM), client protection (CP), and poverty measurement.

Pioneering initiatives of M2i:M2i has been a global pioneer in Code of Conduct Assessment tool, having performed first set of assessments in India. COCA has now been mainstreamed in India with over 150 assessments having been performed over the past 5 years.

In addition M2i has,• Introduced the concept of ‘Hidden Delinquency’ as part of its Risk

Management advisory to MFIs. Hidden delinquency is a precurosr to portfolio quality problems as well as client distress.

• Introduced third party training needs assessment as well as trainings for field staff of MFIs.

• Developed a sampling approach for client/household surveys which takes in to account unique aspects of organizations working in rural areas. We use svyset command in STATA to incorporate designed effect introduced by this approach.

• Faciliated bank/FI linkage of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in several countries in Africa and Asia.

• Developed a risk assessment tool for microenterprise lending• Introduced the concept of Risk Based Internal Audit in MFIs

MEDIA PARTNER

The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is a global news organization that provides leading news, information, commentary and analysis. Published by Dow Jones, The Wall Street Journal engages readers across print, digital, mobile, social, and video. Building on its heritage as the preeminent source of global business and financial news, the Journal includes coverage of U.S. & world news, politics, arts, culture, lifestyle, sports, and health. It holds 36 Pulitzer Prizes for outstanding journalism.



Organising Partners

ORGANISING PARTNERSACCESS Development Services (ACCESS) is a not-for-profit company whose overall aim is to promote sustainable and innovative livelihoods promotion models by integrating access to technical inputs, markets and capital and financial services, and availing the economies of scale by aggregating poor producers and enterprises. While ACCESS seeks to promote composite livelihoods models, ACCESS-ASSIST (ASSIST) is a specialized affiliate of ACCESS that focuses on access to finance issues. ASSIST undertakes both policy support activities and FI related programmes on the ground. ASSIST took over the microfinance portfolio at ACCESS in 2009 with a mandate to engage stakeholders across the financial value chain for promoting responsible financial services for the poor. While ACCESS initiated the Inclusive Finance India initiative over a decade ago, much of this flagship initiative is undertaken in partnership with ACCESS ASSIST.

ASSIST focuses on sector building activities with a three-tier strategy: 1) undertaking projects on the ground on financial education and inclusion of communities in partnership with ACCESS; 2) strengthening institutions through advisory and technical services including modular hand holding and mentoring support to small institutions, conducting institutional assessments including MFI Code of Conduct Assessments, SHPI/NGO assessments; and 3) supporting an enabling environment for financial inclusion through the Inclusive finance India Initiative that includes the annual Summit, flagship annual sectoral publications – the Inclusive Finance State of Sector Report and Responsible Finance Report - as well as the Inclusive Finance India Awards. ASSIST also brings out sectoral thematic studies and state of practice reports to support the data and discourse on integrating responsible practices in delivery of financial services. Periodically thematic / policy round tables / retreats / consultations are also organized by ASSIST.

ASSIST is a policy advocacy partner of SIDBI as part of the ambitious Poorest States Inclusive Growth (PSIG) programme of DFID, Govt. of UK. ASSIST has undertaken several sectoral studies, policy paper, policy discussions and recommendations at national level and undertaken advocacy and convergence at state level through State Financial Inclusion Forums in four focus programme states of UP, Bihar, Odisha and MP.



Summit Secretariat

Radhika Agashe Executive Director

ACCESS ASSIST

Vipin Sharma Chief Executive Officer

ACCESS

Sivani Shankar Head-Inclusive Finance India

ACCESS ASSIST

Lalitha Sridharan Head - Admin

ACCESS

Keerti BhandarySr. Project Coordinator-Inclusive Finance India

ACCESS ASSIST

Amy Parinita MookerjiCommunications Officer

ACCESS ASSIST

Sayantani Mukherjee Sr. Project Coordinator

ACCESS ASSIST


Technical Partners

22, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi – 110016Tel: 011 26510915, Fax: 011 26850821

www.inclusivefinanceindia.org www.accessassist.org www.accessdev.org

Principal Partners

Core Sponsors

Associate Sponsors

Co Sponsors

Knowledge Partner

Technology Solutions Partner

Media Partner


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