India

 

Learn from Prashant Muddu - Founder and CEO at Jocata, about his experience attending the Global SME Finance Forum, the importance of digital public infrastructure, the challenges and opportunities in adopting AI, and the need for financial literacy and technology adoption across different geographies.

 

This interview was led by Hans Koning, Global Chief Industry Specialist, Digital Finance at IFC.

 

"It's a fantastic network. I've been around for the last seven to eight years. We were introduced to the event through one of our clients. This expert gathering offers the opportunity to talk to different people and understand the global challenges faced by the industry."

 

More about Jocata

Jocata GRID is a sophisticated enterprise ecosystem technology platform that strives to provide an integrated real-time view of business, risk, operations and compliance. It is designed as a multi-layered stack of technology capabilities that help financial institutions in their digital transformation initiatives, with each layer solving a specific challenge. Although the individual feature sets of the GRID are mapped to discrete products, its architecture allows for them to be deployed separately or all together or in specific combinations, depending on your solution requirements. The GRID plugs into your backend systems through a secure interface, and brings you the benefits of Jocata's cutting-edge software while substantially reducing upfront costs for training, setup, and infrastructure.

 

More about our Leader Dialogue Series 

A series of 10 to 15 minutes interviews with CEOs, senior executives of financial institutions and technology companies as well as financial sector regulators. Those one-on-one interviews are led by an industry expert from within the World Bank Group or outside. 

 

 

Learn from Rajeev Chalisgaonkar - Executive Vice President at Mashreq Bank, about his multiple years of experience attending the Global SME Finance Forum and the importance of digital stacks for SME financing, fintech pitches, and the evolution of ideas into successful businesses.

 

This interview was led by Hans Koning, Global Chief Industry Specialist, Digital Finance at IFC.

 

"I always look forward to this event every year. Because I think this is the most serious event for SME financing globally anywhere. There are a lot of other conferences that tend to focus on SME, but some of them have a more for-profit motive. Some of them don't have the depth and the breadth of this particular event. So, I think if you are serious about SME financing, I think this is the place to be."

 

More about Mashreq

One of the UAE’s best performing banks for over five decades, Mashreq is a leading financial institution with an expanding footprint across the Middle East and North Africa with a strong presence in the financial capitals of the world with international offices in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US.

 

More about our Leader Dialogue Series 

A series of 10 to 15 minutes interviews with CEOs, senior executives of financial institutions and technology companies as well as financial sector regulators. Those one-on-one interviews are led by an industry expert from within the World Bank Group or outside. 

 

Under the guidance of Niti Aayog, government primer think thank, and RMI as a knowledge partner, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has developed a book titled “De-risking lending for a Brisk EV Uptake: A practical guide on de-risking measures for Electric two- and three-wheelers in India"

 

The report was released in Washington DC at a World Bank event Transforming Transportation. This was done in the august presence of Dr. V.K Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog, Shri Sudhendu Sinha, Advisor, Infrastructure Connectivity & Electric Mobility NITI Aayog, SIDBI CMD, Shri Sivasubramanian Ramann, Representatives from World Bank, RMI and international EV ecosystem fraternity. The International Conference  undertook deep dive deliberations on EV eco system as also leveraging the Indian experience for replication.

 

• The first set of measures refers to general measures such as i) building a comprehensive collections system incorporating digital and cash payments and reminders, ii) implementing a robust repossession system for swift EV retrieval, and iii) encouraging customers to opt for comprehensive insurance with EV-specific coverage for enhanced asset protection. 
• The second set of measures tailored to the EV market include i) leveraging telematics data to evaluate borrower income potential, track location in case of default, and monitor battery health, ii) developing the secondary sales market, and iii) bolstering product quality assurance through warranties, service contracts, and financial agreements between OEMs and financiers.

Learn from Michael Jongeneel, about ESG data aggregation practices within FMO and digitalization benefits for SMEs.

Interview led by Hans Koning, Global Chief Industry Specialist, Digital Finance at IFC.

 

‘I have been in Mumbai for less than 24 hours, but I already had a couple of very interesting discussions and potential collaboration with Indian institutions and beyond and enjoyed the lively discussions on stage. 

The next horizon for FMO is to gather data not only on financials but also on ESG standards to move together to the UN sustainable goals by 2030. 

Digitalization contributes to SME growth because it generates more innovative types of financial products, in particular credits that are faster and give more insights into SME clients’. 

 

More about FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank 
As a leading impact investor, our mission is to create a more sustainable future through private sector investments in over 80 developing countries and emerging economies across the globe. Not only do we create and support jobs by investing in ambitious projects and entrepreneurs, we also focus on generating income and long-term business growth with the aim of making the world a better place than it was when we first started. By taking on investments that commercial parties are not willing to risk, we are able to serve those in more dire need of financial assistance, providing much-needed liquidity especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focus on three sectors that provide high development impact: financial institutions, energy, and agribusiness, food, and water. Our committed portfolio reaches over EUR 10.4 billion across over 80 countries, making FMO one of the larger bilateral private sector development banks in the world. Thanks to our 50+ years of success in these high-risk markets, we can generate more funding for customers, while contributing to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with an emphasis on reducing inequality, leading climate action change, and driving economic growth. 

More about our Leader Dialogue Series  
A series of 10 to 15 minutes interviews with CEOs, senior executives of financial institutions and technology companies as well as financial sector regulators. Those one-on-one interviews are led by an industry expert from within the World Bank Group or outside.

 

The Inclusive Finance India Report provides a comprehensive review of the progress of financial inclusion in the country, tracking performance, highlighting achievements, and flagging gaps and issues that need to be addressed at the levels of both policy and practice.
It is a much-awaited annual reference document for policymakers, investors, practitioners, academia, and students, for data trends and insights on various thematic cuts pertaining to financial inclusion.

The Report is sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates, Foundation, Mastercard, SIDBI, and Rabobank Foundation as the long-term steadfast supporters.
The Report this year has additionally been supported by IDFC FIRST Bank, SBI and HSBC.

 

The report is published by ACCESS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, a leading India based global institution/think tank. 

Learn from PVSLN, Murty, Chairman and Managing Director, North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi), about their mission to champion the entrepreneurial spirit of the North Eastern Region of India, financing commercially viable industries and providing consultancy services. 

The interview is led by Hans Koning, Global Chief Industry Specialist, Digital Finance at IFC.

''In the North Eastern Region of India, we have 4000 MSMEs registered but only 14% are active. The remaining need financing support. Among the small businesses we are targeting and investing in are some start-ups, in particular those working in cloud-computing such as quantum." 

The SME Finance Forum’s Leader Dialogues is a series of one-on-one interviews with CEOs, senior executives of financial institutions and technology companies as well as financial sector regulators. 
 

Learn more about NEDFi 
Financial institution catalyzing economic development of the North Eastern Region of India by identifying and financing commercially viable industries, providing valued advisory & consultancy services, promoting entrepreneurship through effective mentoring, skill development and capacity building of the micro, small and medium enterprises and generating sustainable livelihoods through Micro Finance and CSR activities.