Visit of Indian Delegates to InM

A discussion meeting was organised on 25 September 2018 on the occasion of the visit to InM by a six-member delegation from the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) and the State Institute of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. The visit was sponsored by the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), an inter-governmental organisation headquartered in Dhaka.

The members of the delegation included D. Pranesh Rao, Director, Abdul Nazeer Sab State Institute of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Mysuru; Dr. M. Srikanth, Associate Professor, Centre for Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship, Hyderabad; Dr. Lakhan Sing, Assistant Professor, Centre for Human Resource Development, Hyderabad; Dr. Raj Kumar Pammi, Assistant Professor, Centre for Livelihoods, Hyderabad; Dr. Ruchira Bhattacharya, Assistant Professor, Centre for Gender Studies and Development, Hyderabad; and Dr. S. K Sathyaprabha, Assistant Professor, Centre for Good Governance and Policy Analysis, National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad.

The discussions covered various aspects of development in the microfinance sector in Bangladesh and a comparative analysis of microfinance evolution in Bangladesh and India. The deliberations also covered important challenges that have emerged in the microfinance sector such as expansion of multiple borrowing, high interest rates as well as commercialisation and potential ‘mission drift’ involving issues of sustainability of the microfinance sector.

 

InM senior officials presented a video documentary and multimedia presentation on microfinance evolution and best practices in Bangladesh. Dr. Mustafa K, Mujeri, Executive Director, InM was in the chair.