The paper recommends that, if SHG Bank Linkage is to be scaled-up to offer mass access to finance for the rural poor, then more attention will need to be paid toward the promotion of high quality SHGs that are sustainable, clear targeting of clients, and ensuring that banks linked to SHGs price loans at cost-covering levels. At the same time, the paper argues that, in an economy as vast and varied as India's, there is scope for diverse microfinance approaches to coexist. Private sector microfinanciers need to acquire greater professionalism, and the government can help by creating a flexible architecture for microfinance innovations, including through a more enabling policy, legal, and regulatory framework. Finally, the paper argues that, while microfinance can, at minimum, serve as a quick way to deliver finance to reform these institutions with an eye to improving access for the poor."

Annotation This book examines the current level and pattern of access to finance for India's rural households, evaluates various approaches for delivering financial services, analyzes what lies behind the lack of adequate financial access, and identifies what it would take to improve access to finance.

The purpose of the 'Microfinance Handbook' is to bring together in a single source guiding principles and tools that will promote sustainable microfinance and create viable institutions.

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.

Despite the fact that three quarters of the world's poor live in rural areas, the level of international development aid directed at rural areas has continued to decline over the last decade, particularly in terms of the agricultural sector. In 2001, lending for agricultural projects was the lowest in the World Bank's history. This publication presents the World Bank's new rural development strategy based upon a results oriented approach which stresses practice, implementation, monitoring and empowerment aspects. The strategy seeks to highlight rural development efforts, focusing on the needs of the rural poor, fostering a broad-based economic growth and addressing the impact of global developments on client countries.

Beyond Micro-Credit sets out how Indian Micro-Finance Initiatives are combining micro-finance with a wide range of development goals, these include not only poverty alleviation through providing savings, credit and insurance services but also promoting livelihoods, empowering women, building people's organizations and changing institutions.