This book discusses and provides empirical evidence of the importance of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a number of developing countries. In doing so, the book focuses on the contributions of MSMEs to national efforts, directly or indirectly, to achieve poverty reduction (Goal 1), zero hunger (Goal 2), good health and wellbeing (Goal 3), quality education (Goal 4), gender equality (Goal 5), clean water & sanitation (Goal 6), income distribution (Goal 10), and sustainable cities & communities (Goal 11). The book consists of chapters discussing evidence on these particular topics based on research from various countries including Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Malaysia.

India Banking and Finance Report 2021 presents a lucid yet rigorous discussion on the key facets of the Banking and Financial sector in India. Written primarily by the faculty of National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM), Pune, the report covers a wide spectrum of issues ranging from contemporary macro-financial perspectives against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic to leadership concerns in Indian banks. The list of subjects included is topical, comprising corporate governance challenges, mergers and acquisitions, problems and prospects of the Bad Bank, latest risk management concepts and frontiers, sectoral studies, digital transformation and leadership paradigms. The report seeks to highlight the emerging challenges and opportunities in the banking and financial sector, glean important lessons from the past, and in some cases speculate on the way forward. It emphasizes on a blend of internal strategies, regulatory reforms and public policy initiatives. The report will stimulate enlightened dialogues on the theoretical, empirical and practical aspects of bank management in India.

The Asia Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Monitor provides data and analysis as a resource for evidence-based policy design. This year's edition focuses on South Asia. This first volume reviews micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) at the country and regional levels. It covers Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and examines MSME development, access to finance, and policies and regulations. It notes that revitalizing MSMEs by channeling more growth capital to them will be key to a resilient economic recovery from the pandemic. It highlights opportunities in formalizing MSMEs and connecting them to international markets, expanding digital skills, fostering technology-based start-ups, and supporting youth and women entrepreneurs.

The resignation of Geoffrey Hinton, the godfather of AI from the technology giant, Google, in May 2023, has triggered debates on the evolving techno-economic paradigm that is being unfolded, with possible unfavorable stakes on jobs and business sustainability. Besides its usual annual review of policy, practice, and developments, this twenty-sixth issue of the ‘India MSME Report series’ closely examines such scenario, and explores new directions in public policy and strategies. Bringing together the two streams of thinking, ie, the “Vikasit Bharat” agenda of the Government of India, and the vision of “Unleashing entrepreneurship”, as outlined by the United Nations, it puts forth the motto of “India First; SMEs First”, as the way forward. This Report puts forth a new vision and horizon for MSMEs in the country: ‘decentralized smart manufacturing’.

India is on track to be one of the fastest growing major economies in the world this year, underpinned by prudent macroeconomic policies. Nonetheless, the economy is facing global headwinds, including a global growth slowdown in an increasingly fragmented world.

In 2011 the World Bank—with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—launched the Global Findex database, the world's most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Drawing on survey data collected in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the Global Findex database covers more than 140 economies around the world. The initial survey round was followed by a second one in 2014 and by a third in 2017. Compiled using nationally representative surveys of more than 150,000 adults age 15 and above in over 140 economies, The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It has additional data on the use of financial technology (or fintech), including the use of mobile phones and the Internet to conduct financial transactions. The data reveal opportunities to expand access to financial services among people who do not have an account—the unbanked—as well as to promote greater use of digital financial services among those who do have an account. The Global Findex database has become a mainstay of global efforts to promote financial inclusion. In addition to being widely cited by scholars and development practitioners, Global Findex data are used to track progress toward the World Bank goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The database, the full text of the report, and the underlying country-level data for all figures—along with the questionnaire, the survey methodology, and other relevant materials—are available at www.worldbank.org/globalfindex.

Over the years, India has emerged as the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world, earning itself the reputation of being the emerging land for delivering unicorns. It has become one of the most attractive regions in the world for initiating and scaling up new business ideas. Many venture capitalists have invested in India's start-up ecosystem, and the government has also launched a variety of schemes to promote this growth. Indian organisations have become more competitive, making their global presence felt and expanding their reach into new industries and sectors.What factors have been pivotal for the growth of Indian start-ups? How did the Indian ecosystem evolve to fuel this growth? Is the role of leadership in start-ups more crucial than in other organisations?This book, through its diverse range of chapters, not only provides answers to the above questions, but also makes sincere efforts to highlight the innovative potential that start-ups carry and the leadership that is required to sail them through global competition. The book also provides an insight on the race of unicorns and how Indian start-ups have been extremely successful in bagging this coveted title. This edited book is a must-read for budding entrepreneurs and researchers who aim to understand and conduct research on Indian start-ups and their ecosystem support.