financial-inclusion
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Women’s Financial Inclusion in South Asia: Are We Measuring What Truly Matters?
Despite global progress, a stark paradox persists in South Asia. While gender gaps in basic bank account ownership are narrowing, women’s labour force participation remains among the lowest globally, at just 32%, compared with an average of 54% across emerging and developing economies (World Bank, 2024). The last decade has seen remarkable improvements in access. Continue reading
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Housing Finance challenges for Middle-Income and Low-Income Households in Bangladesh
Bangladesh faces deep structural constraints in its housing sector—challenges that have only intensified in recent years. Inflation has remained persistently high since 2022, peaking near 10%. Coupled with a fragile financial sector and a tightening fiscal environment, these conditions disproportionately affect middle-income and low-income households. The stability of the finance sector in Bangladesh is also Continue reading
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Emerging AI Frontiers: Unlocking the Full Potential of AI in Financial Services
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been an integral part of digital transformation in the financial sector—primarily through fraud detection, automated customer service, and process automation. However, the evolution of generative AI (GenAI) is significantly broadening the range and depth of possible applications. Recent research suggests that 32–39% of tasks across banking, capital markets, and insurance Continue reading
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Strengthening Financial Inclusion in Nepal: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities
Nepal’s financial sector reform program, initiated in 2002, has made notable progress in modernizing the legal and regulatory framework, developing key financial institutions, and increasing private sector participation. The dominance of state-owned banks has declined, and the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has enhanced its supervisory and regulatory capacity. Key financial legislations and infrastructure were also Continue reading
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WealthTech in Transition: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Future of Digital Investing
WealthTech, the fusion of wealth management and technology, is undergoing rapid transformation globally—and India is catching up fast. While only ~3% of India’s population currently invests in stocks compared to ~55% in the US, the rise of digital investment platforms, robo-advisors, and fractional investing is set to disrupt traditional finance and democratize access to wealth Continue reading
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MSME finance – Growth and Innovation Trends (Case Studies)
MSMEs in emerging markets face persistent challenges in accessing formal credit, managing cash flow, and scaling operations. However, innovative financial solutions—from invoice financing, digital banking, to green lending—are bridging these gaps. This article presents a curated set of case studies highlighting the most impactful trends, innovations, and key players shaping the MSME finance landscape in India and across Continue reading
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MSME Finance in Emerging Economies
Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) help drive growth across developing countries with their contribution towards job creation and economic output. Based on available data, MSMEs in Asia and the Pacific accounted for an average 96.6% of all enterprises, 55.8% of the total workforce, and 28% of a country’s economic output. MSME development has been supported Continue reading
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Product Design of Financial Inclusion Products
Financial inclusion in emerging markets has seen significant strides in the last two decades. This has been supported by both the private and public sector driving expansion of basic financial services to reach underserved areas and clients. Designing financial products which are inclusive, relevant, affordable and scalable in emerging markets has been possible with greater Continue reading
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