Publication: Scaling-up Access to Finance for India's Rural Poor
Loading...
Date
2004-12
ISSN
Published
2004-12
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Since the early national plans, successive governments in independent India have emphasized the link between improving access to finance, and reducing poverty - a stance that has had influence globally. The need to improve financial access for India's poor, the overwhelming majority of whom are concentrated in rural areas, motivated the nationalization of commercial banks in the late 1960s, and an aggressive drive through the 1970s and 1980s, to expand rural banking, coupled with policies mandating banks to provide subsidized credit to rural households. The 1990s saw the partial deregulation of interest rates, a gradual reduction in the Government's stake in commercial banks, and increased competition in the banking sector. Access to finance for the rural poor has improved somewhat over the past decades, with the public sector commercial banks being the dominant players in the formal rural finance market. Yet, the vast majority of India's rural poor, still do not have access t o formal finance. The report examines the reasons, and factors affecting both banks, and their clients. First is the problem of uncertainty - about the repayment capacity of poor rural borrowers, and their irregular/volatile income streams and expenditure patterns - which, in the absence of credit information, drive up default risk. Second, the transactions costs of rural lending in India are high, mainly due to small loan sizes, high frequency of transactions, large geographical spread, and heterogeneity of borrowers, and widespread illiteracy. Third, the Government policies have made things worse from the banks' perspective, creating a "financial climate" not conducive to lending in general, and rural banking in particular. New approaches and products to improve rural access to finance in India are reviewed, namely, the 'Self-help Groups (SHGs) Bank Linkage' model, the growth of which - from just 500 SHGs linked to banks in the early 1990s, to over 700,000 in 2003 - has been truly remarkable; specialized microfinance institutions; and, partnerships between private Banks,, micro-financiers, and service providers, including the Kisan Credit Card. Furthermore, a potential means of reducing default risk in rural finance, that has recently caught the attention of the Government, is the establishment of a "warehouse receipts system' to cover the agricultural risk management of products for farmers. The policy agenda to improve access to finance by the rural poor looks at introducing flexible products; the need for composite financial services; simplified procedures to access finance; and, improved staffing policies and doorstep banking, including an enabling policy, legal and regulatory environment for micro-finance.While the importance of microfinance in consumption-easing should not be underestimated, its success in budding up poor peoples' assets, over the medium term, would much depend on efforts directed at providing assistance in skills development, technology and marketing - all of which are critical to ensuring that investments made by poor households, reap returns and contribute to a sustained increase in incomes and improvements in rural livelihoods.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2004. Scaling-up Access to Finance for India's Rural Poor. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14389 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Improving Access to Finance for India's Rural Poor(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2006)Improving Access to Finance for India's Rural Poor examines the current level and pattern of access to finance for India's rural households, evaluates various approaches for delivering financial services to the rural poor, analyzes what lies behind the lack of adequate financial access for the rural poor, and identifies what it would take to improve access to finance for India's rural poor. Based on the analysis of a large-scale rural household survey, in combination with an evaluation of the role of financial markets and institutions, this title also examines different forms of financial service provision, including formal, informal and microfinance, raises questions about approaches used so far to address financial exclusion, and makes recommendations for policy advisors and financial service providers on how to scale-up access to finance for India's rural poor, to meet their diverse financial needs (savings, credit, insurance against unexpected events, etc.), in a commercially sustainable manner. Its conclusions will be of interest to anyone involved in economic policy, finance or microfinance, poverty analysis, and poverty reduction.Publication Scaling-up Microfinance for India’s Rural Poor(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2005-06)This paper reviews the current level and pattern of access to finance for India's rural poor and examines some of the key microfinance approaches in India, taking a close look at the most dominant among these, the Self Help Group (SHG) Bank Linkage initiative. It empirically analyzes the success with which SHG Bank Linkage has been able to reach the poor, examines the reasons behind this, and the lessons learned. The analysis draws heavily on a recent rural access to finance survey of 6,000 households in India undertaken by the authors. The main findings and implications of the paper are as follows: India's rural poor currently have very little access to finance from formal sources. Microfinance approaches have tried to fill the gap. Among these, the growth of SHG Bank Linkage has been particularly remarkable, but outreach remains modest in terms of the proportion of poor households served. 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 the poor, the medium-term strategy to scale-up access to finance for the poor should be to "graduate" microfinance clients to formal financial institutions. The paper offers some suggestions on what it would take to reform these institutions with an eye to improving access for the poor.Publication Financial Sector Assessment Program Update : India - IAIS Insurance Core Principles(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-08)This assessment of India's compliance with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Insurance Core Principles (ICP) was carried out as part of the 2011 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). Although this is the second FSAP for India, this is the first external assessment of India's compliance with the ICPs. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) have principal responsibility for insurance regulation and supervision in India, although the central government also has some reserve supervisory powers. This assessment is based upon information made available to the assessor in preparation for and during the June 2011 FSAP mission. The assessment has also been informed by discussions with regulators and market participants. The assessment employs the 2003 version of the IAIS insurance core principles and methodology and is based on the essential criteria (EC) listed in that document.Publication India : IAIS Insurance Core Principles(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-08)This assessment of India's compliance with the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Insurance Core Principles (ICP) was carried out as part of the 2011 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). Although this is the second FSAP for India, this is the first external assessment of India's compliance with the ICPs. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) have principal responsibility for insurance regulation and supervision in India, although the central government also has some reserve supervisory powers. This assessment is based upon information made available to the assessor in preparation for and during the June 2011 FSAP mission. The assessment has also been informed by discussions with regulators and market participants. The assessment employs the 2003 version of the IAIS insurance core principles and methodology and is based on the essential criteria (EC) listed in that document.Publication The Scaling-Up of Microfinance in Bangladesh: Determinants, Impact, and Lessons(World Bank, Washington, D.C., 2004-09)The microfinance industry in Bangladesh currently provides access to credit to around 13 million poor households. The author describes the factors that led to the scaling-up of micro-credit in Bangladesh, the impact this has had on the poor, future challenges in Bangladesh, and possible lessons for other countries. The consensus in the literature is that micro-credit plays a significant role in reducing household vulnerability to a number of risks and that it contributes to improving social indicators. The author argues that strategic donor investments in a handful of well-managed institutions that offer a simple, easily replicable financial product could lead to large gains in access to finance for the poor. However, this approach could sacrifice other objectives of financial sector development, such as product and institutional diversity, which could be promoted after the initial expansion has taken place. Governments can also have a crucial role in promoting access to microfinance by ensuring macroeconomic stability, enforcing a simple regulatory structure, and developing communications networks that reduce transaction costs. Another lesson is that while visionary leadership cannot simply be franchised, the internal management systems that led to the scaling-up can be replicated in other settings.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Economic Recovery(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04-06)World Bank Group President David Malpass spoke about the world facing major challenges, including COVID, climate change, rising poverty and inequality and growing fragility and violence in many countries. He highlighted vaccines, working closely with Gavi, WHO, and UNICEF, the World Bank has conducted over one hundred capacity assessments, many even more before vaccines were available. The World Bank Group worked to achieve a debt service suspension initiative and increased transparency in debt contracts at developing countries. The World Bank Group is finalizing a new climate change action plan, which includes a big step up in financing, building on their record climate financing over the past two years. He noted big challenges to bring all together to achieve GRID: green, resilient, and inclusive development. Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, mentioned focusing on vulnerable people during the pandemic. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, focused on giving everyone a fair shot during a sustainable recovery. All three commented on the importance of tackling climate change.Publication Remarks at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-10-12)World Bank Group President David Malpass discussed biodiversity and climate change being closely interlinked, with terrestrial and marine ecosystems serving as critically important carbon sinks. At the same time climate change acts as a direct driver of biodiversity and ecosystem services loss. The World Bank has financed biodiversity conservation around the world, including over 116 million hectares of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas, 10 million hectares of Terrestrial Protected Areas, and over 300 protected habitats, biological buffer zones and reserves. The COVID pandemic, biodiversity loss, climate change are all reminders of how connected we are. The recovery from this pandemic is an opportunity to put in place more effective policies, institutions, and resources to address biodiversity loss.Publication South Asia Development Update, April 2024: Jobs for Resilience(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-02)South Asia is expected to continue to be the fastest-growing emerging market and developing economy (EMDE) region over the next two years. This is largely thanks to robust growth in India, but growth is also expected to pick up in most other South Asian economies. However, growth in the near-term is more reliant on the public sector than elsewhere, whereas private investment, in particular, continues to be weak. Efforts to rein in elevated debt, borrowing costs, and fiscal deficits may eventually weigh on growth and limit governments' ability to respond to increasingly frequent climate shocks. Yet, the provision of public goods is among the most effective strategies for climate adaptation. This is especially the case for households and farms, which tend to rely on shifting their efforts to non-agricultural jobs. These strategies are less effective forms of climate adaptation, in part because opportunities to move out of agriculture are limited by the region’s below-average employment ratios in the non-agricultural sector and for women. Because employment growth is falling short of working-age population growth, the region fails to fully capitalize on its demographic dividend. Vibrant, competitive firms are key to unlocking the demographic dividend, robust private investment, and workers’ ability to move out of agriculture. A range of policies could spur firm growth, including improved business climates and institutions, the removal of financial sector restrictions, and greater openness to trade and capital flows.Publication The Journey Ahead(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-31)The Journey Ahead: Supporting Successful Migration in Europe and Central Asia provides an in-depth analysis of international migration in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and the implications for policy making. By identifying challenges and opportunities associated with migration in the region, it aims to inform a more nuanced, evidencebased debate on the costs and benefits of cross-border mobility. Using data-driven insights and new analysis, the report shows that migration has been an engine of prosperity and has helped address some of ECA’s demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Yet, migration’s full economic potential remains untapped. The report identifies multiple barriers keeping migration from achieving its full potential. Crucially, it argues that policies in both origin and destination countries can help maximize the development impacts of migration and effectively manage the economic, social, and political costs. Drawing from a wide range of literature, country experiences, and novel analysis, The Journey Ahead presents actionable policy options to enhance the benefits of migration for destination and origin countries and migrants themselves. Some measures can be taken unilaterally by countries, whereas others require close bilateral or regional coordination. The recommendations are tailored to different types of migration— forced displacement as well as high-skilled and low-skilled economic migration—and from the perspectives of both sending and receiving countries. This report serves as a comprehensive resource for governments, development partners, and other stakeholders throughout Europe and Central Asia, where the richness and diversity of migration experiences provide valuable insights for policy makers in other regions of the world.Publication Media and Messages for Nutrition and Health(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-06)The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has experienced rapid and significant economic growth over the past decade. However, poor nutritional outcomes remain a concern. Rates of childhood undernutrition are particularly high in remote, rural, and upland areas. Media have the potential to play an important role in shaping health and nutrition–related behaviors and practices as well as in promoting sociocultural and economic development that might contribute to improved nutritional outcomes. This report presents the results of a media audit (MA) that was conducted to inform the development and production of mass media advocacy and communication strategies and materials with a focus on maternal and child health and nutrition that would reach the most people from the poorest communities in northern Lao PDR. Making more people aware of useful information, essential services and products and influencing them to use these effectively is the ultimate goal of mass media campaigns, and the MA measures the potential effectiveness of media efforts to reach this goal. The effectiveness of communication channels to deliver health and nutrition messages to target beneficiaries to ensure maximum reach and uptake can be viewed in terms of preferences, satisfaction, and trust. Overall, the four most accessed media channels for receiving information among communities in the study areas were village announcements, mobile phones, television, and out-of-home (OOH) media. Of the accessed media channels, the top three most preferred channels were village announcements (40 percent), television (26 percent), and mobile phones (19 percent). In terms of trust, village announcements were the most trusted source of information (64 percent), followed by mobile phones (14 percent) and television (11 percent). Hence of all the media channels, village announcements are the most preferred, have the most satisfied users, and are the most trusted source of information in study communities from four provinces in Lao PDR with some of the highest burden of childhood undernutrition.