Greetings from Grameen Foundation for Social Impact !

The "Testing Innovation in BC Channel" program aims to boost financial inclusion in rural and underserved communities. Building on the success of the Business Correspondent (BC) Model, it addresses challenges like limited credit access for women. Drawing from Grameen’s BEADS and SCALE initiatives, the program tests new products, services, and approaches to transform BC networks.

Under the Innovations, we are driving significant progress. On November 14, we launched the Community of Practice (CoP) on the ECHO India platform, bringing together 40 members from 20 organizations. A CoP is a group of individuals who share a common interest or expertise and engage in regular interaction to learn from each other, collaborate on challenges, and advance their collective knowledge. Since then, our network has grown above 50 members on the ECHO India platform, and we are on track to reach our goal of 100 members.

We have also initiated eCommerce pilots in the Kuberjee and CDOT areas, where Micro Entrepreneurs (MEs) and Business Correspondents (BCs) are actively involved. We are onboarding sellers and have selected EasyPay as the Seller Network Provider (SNP) in Kuberjee. Through field visits to almost 50 women MEs, we identified both the challenges they face and the opportunities available for growth. As part of this effort, we conducted orientation training on the ONDC network for the selected MEs. Additionally, we have signed an MoU between EasyPay (SNP) and BCNMs to facilitate the onboarding of MEs onto the ONDC platform. The MEs and BCNMs have been identified through collaboration with Kuberjee and CDOT.

At the Global Inclusive Finance Summit 2024 on December 11-12, we showcased our work, connecting with other organizations in the field. On December 12, we hosted a panel discussion titled "What a Decade of JAM Has Achieved for Women: Challenges and the Way Ahead," moderated by Saurabh Singh, Senior Project Manager at GFSI. The panel featured experts like Dr. Pawan Bakhshi (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Kalpana Ajayan (Women’s World Banking), Akhand Tiwari (MSC), Kalyanaraman A. (Varashakti Housing Finance), and Arindam Dasgupta (Senior Director- Program Operations & Strategy, Grameen Foundation for Social Impact). The discussion focused on the impact of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile (JAM) on improving financial inclusion for women, while also addressing challenges such as the gender digital divide. The panel highlighted how technology can enable women, and the role of tailored financial solutions based on transaction data.

Our team continues to make strides in Innovations. We have successfully onboarded 112 MEs through Kuberjee in Surat and identified key clusters and BCs. We are finalizing an MoU between EasyPay (SNP) and Kuberjee (BCNM), and a similar agreement with CDOT and EasyPay is also in the works. Our team recently visited EasyPay in Pune, Kuberjee in Surat, and CDOT in Patna, engaging directly with field teams and MEs to better understand the challenges they face. Additionally, we are developing knowledge products that focus on gender inclusion and digital finance, and hosting a webinar series on topics like "Innovations in the Business Correspondent Industry: Challenges, Solutions, and Pathways to Sustainability." This ongoing work is shaping the future of inclusive finance and digital innovation.

For more details, click here
https://gfsi.in/innovations-in-digital-finance/

Increase Income

An increase in income is desired through offering more services, selling local products, and leveraging platforms like ONDC. These strategies aim to diversify revenue streams and attract a wider customer base.

Enhancement of Customer Engagement

Stronger customer engagement is sought by building better relationships through personalized services and improved communication. This approach focuses on fostering loyalty and encouraging repeat business.

Expansion of Market Reach

An expansion of market reach is aimed for by better product portfolio, utilizing online channels and digital tools to target a larger audience and increase visibility, especially in untapped areas.

The Generating Rural Opportunities for Women Agri-entrepreneurship (GROW) program aims to enable 5,000 women as Agri-entrepreneurs across four districts of Andhra Pradesh (East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, and Visakhapatnam). Over 5 years, the initiative will enhance livelihoods for 1 million smallholder farmers by developing agricultural value chains and using technology for training and capacity building.

In GROW, we have successfully created 300 Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs), with 92 of them actively providing essential services to Smallholder Farmers (SHFs). The initiative has engaged 2,550 SHFs, generating transactions worth ₹32.41 lakhs. These include 15MT of cashew sold for ₹22.89 lakhs, 63MT of banana for ₹5.08 lakhs, and 10.095MT of vegetables valued at ₹3.069 lakhs.

We have also conducted six training sessions, equipping Agri-Entrepreneurs (AEs) with essential skills in business management, financial literacy, and customer engagement. They learned inventory control, market linkages, and crop-specific knowledge using the PlantwisePlus factsheets App for diagnosing plant diseases and managing pests. The Grameen Kisaan Connect App has allowed them to interact directly with farmers, understand market demand, and adapt their businesses to increase profitability.

In West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, 19 women agri-entrepreneurs completed a 26-day residential training on agri-entrepreneurship development, organized in partnership with Syngenta Foundation India and CCS-NIAM. Upon completion, they received graduation certificates, enabling them to obtain input licenses, set up agricultural input centers, provide advisory services, and drive agri-entrepreneurship in their communities, creating sustainable livelihoods and promoting a more equitable agricultural ecosystem.

Looking ahead, we have planned advanced training for 35 AEs, focusing on nursery and grafting management in December 2024. Our research efforts are also progressing, with the baseline survey and value chain analysis for East and West Godavari completed and the final report currently in development.

The Market Access eNabled by Digital Innovation (MANDI II) initiative, enables Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to improve market access, financial inclusion, and resilience for smallholder farmers, particularly women. The program focuses on enhancing market linkages, promoting digitization, enabling gender equality, and improving access to finance and technology.

We made significant progress in the MANDI II program, generating a ₹12.70 Cr turnover across 38 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). We have forged new partnerships with Ayekart and Mother Dairy, and we have begun exporting chili to Bangladesh. Women's participation has grown, with 2,492 women now serving as shareholders, raising their representation to 42.7%, and occupying 33.2% of Board of Directors positions. We have secured financial linkages totaling ₹8.7 Cr for 15 FPOs, including a ₹10 lakh loan for Banaras Organo FPCL.

We hosted a Buyer-Seller Meeting that connected FPO representatives with market leaders, NBFCs, banks, and logistics providers. This meeting facilitated partnerships, knowledge exchange, and actionable strategies, strengthening market access and financial opportunities for smallholder farmers.

• Industry Insights: Keynotes by leaders such as Dr. Indivar Prasad (ICAR), Sandeep Tiwari (Geolife Agritech), and Niraj Lal (HDFC Bank).
• Panel Discussions: We held discussions to strengthen market linkages for sustainable growth.
• Knowledge Exchange: Sessions covered government schemes, financial linkages, and agricultural innovations.

We also conducted a Digital Literacy & AgTech Solutions Workshop on November 13–14 in Varanasi, where 98 participants from 47 FPOs in Eastern UP and West Bengal gained valuable skills.

• Day 1: We introduced Grameen Kisaan Connect (powered by AyeKart Fintech) for digital market access, data-driven decision-making, and online transactions.
• Day 2: We provided digital literacy training, covering smartphone use, social media, and communication tools for advisory and market connections.

These workshops enabled FPO members with digital skills, improving their operations, market access, and collaboration for sustainable growth.

On December 17th, we hosted a successful Buyer-Seller cum Stakeholders' Meet 2024, bringing together a diverse group of industry leaders

• Buyers & Suppliers: Paushik Life, National Fertilizer Company Ltd, DeHaat, IFFCO, Godrej, and more.
• Financial Institutions: HDFC, West Bengal State Cooperative Bank, ESAF.
• Government Bodies: NABARD, APEDA, EDI, West Bengal Seed Corporation.
• Academics & Journalists: ATARI, BCKV, Krishi Barta.
• FPO Representatives: All five FPOs from East Bardhaman.

This event served as a platform for FPOs to access markets, form new business partnerships, and engage in discussions about market trends and quality standards. We look forward to leveraging these relationships for continued growth and innovation in the agricultural sector.

The program is promoting gender inclusion and technological adoption by training 367 women farmers across 10 FPOs and conducting Power Weeder demonstrations for 520 women. We have also established compost units across all 10 Hub-and-Spoke FPOs, with six actively selling compost fertilizers locally. Furthermore, 100 FPO members are using the Aye Krishi Tech platform to make data-driven decisions, fostering sustainable growth and stronger market linkages.

For more details, click here
https://gfsi.in/agriculture-and-livelihoods/

Lakshyavati is a program focused on enabling underprivileged girls (grades 7-12) from underserved districts in Maharashtra to improve their educational attainment and reduce school dropout rates.

Under this program, we distributed physical passbooks to all the girls, ensuring better financial control. All the girls successfully passed their first-term exams this session, demonstrating academic excellence.

Our Block Coordinators provide individual counseling sessions to 150 girls across Bhandara and Nagpur, helping them manage exam pressures effectively.

1. Through these well-rounded interventions, we ensure that our efforts extend beyond educational achievement to encompass broader socio-economic enablement. By nurturing girl’s aspirations, equipping them with essential skills, and promoting a culture of inclusion and sustainability, we lay the groundwork for a brighter and more equitable future for all.
2. For 200 school-going girls from underprivileged backgrounds, having a bank account proves revolutionary. The account provides them with a real asset, secure funds, and responsibility over their financial resources. This newfound financial independence enables the girls to take an active role in decisions related to their education, such as purchasing school supplies, paying fees, or investing in educational resources like books or tutoring services. Having a bank account enables the girls to envision a future beyond traditional gender roles and societal expectations, fostering a sense of agency and self-determination.
3. Providing a bursary of INR 750 to each girl catalyzes broader social and economic transformation within their communities. As these girls gain education and economic enablement, they contribute to the socio-economic development of their families and communities, breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

Additionally, we have completed data collection on the aspirations of the girls who have graduated, and we are now conducting trend analysis to guide future initiatives.

Under the Women as Agents of Change and Economic Empowerment (W-ACE) program, we are building the entrepreneurial capacity of 650 Grameen Mittras—female agents who provide marginalized households with doorstep access to a variety of financial products and services via a digital platform. Through this initiative, we aim for these Mittras to reach over 150,000 end clients, offering financial education, digital financial literacy, and a range of financial and digital payment services.

• Digital Onboarding: We have fully onboarded 481 Grameen Mittras onto PayNearby, completing their KYC and two-factor authentication, which has streamlined their operations.
• Transaction Growth: In November, Grameen Mittras completed 4,418 online transactions, generating a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of ₹1.07 crore. Additionally, 200 Mittras actively sold offline products, expanding their income streams.
• Donor Visit: Donors visited four villages in Mul Block, Chandrapur, to interact with the Mittras and learn about their experiences in managing both online and offline sales.

Through the W-ACE program, we continue to guide the Mittras on how to effectively use PayNearby and boost offline product sales, ensuring steady growth despite seasonal challenges.

Investment Readiness & Digital Transformation Of Women-Led Small Businesses (IRDT-WSB) focuses on enabling women entrepreneurs by fostering investment readiness and driving digital transformation within early-stage, women-owned small businesses. It aims to support the growth of 300 women-owned businesses in the Delhi NCR region, offering training, mentoring, and capacity-building initiatives to help these entrepreneurs thrive in the MSME ecosystem.

Recently, IRDT organised Kaarobaar 2024 that made significant strides in supporting women-owned small businesses (WSBs) by connecting them with buyers, sellers, and lenders. This Buyer-Seller-Lender meet fostered collaborations with government institutions, marketplaces, and enterprise support organizations (ESOs) to provide visibility and growth opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

This led to-

• Product Visibility: Stalls for handicrafts, textiles, and F&B products boosted visibility for women entrepreneurs.
• Market Readiness: We launched a product catalog and a government Schemes Booklet to provide resources and actionable opportunities.
• Government Partnerships: In collaboration with NITI Aayog, PMFME, DSIIDC, and others, we’re helping WSBs access working capital, machinery, and collateral-free loans through schemes like NULM, PMEGP, and MUDRA.
• Marketplaces: We’ve teamed up with Amazon, ONDC, GeM, and Zomato to help WSBs reach wider audiences and democratize market access.
• ESOs & Financial Institutions: Partnerships with Aspire for Her, Samhita-CFG, Invoicemart, Vitto Money, and Merabills provide critical business and financial support.

Impact

• Out of 300, we’ve built sustainable linkages for 150 women entrepreneurs, with robust business plans to drive sales and revenue growth.
• Product exhibitions and the launch of catalogs and scheme documents have given WSBs more visibility and actionable resources.

Currently, in IRDT, we are actively supporting women-owned small businesses (WSBs) through various initiatives:

• A cohort of women entrepreneurs is leveraging META and ONDC platforms to expand their digital presence on Facebook and Instagram.
• We are Working with Samhita-CFG, another cohort is onboarding to ONDC to drive sales and demand.
• Amazon and Zomato continue to onboard WSBs, offering more opportunities for exposure and sales.

For more details, click here
https://gfsi.in/women-economic-empowerment/

I am truly thankful for the opportunity to be part of ‘Kaarobaar 2024.’ It was an inspiring and insightful event that celebrated women entrepreneurs. The sessions, connections, and chance to showcase our products meant a lot to me.

Thank you for supporting and encouraging our journey.

-Harcharan Kaur (Kaur’s Kraft Global)

The ‘Kaarobaar 2024’ session was truly inspiring and has brought us closer to achieving our dreams. I am deeply grateful to the Grameen Foundation Team for creating such opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

Looking forward to future collaborations!

-Lovely Jain (ALLAPS1728Boutique)