New Delhi : With financial inclusion emerging as a major policy objective in the country, Microfinance has occupied centre stage as a promising conduit for extending financial services to unbanked sections of population. The Annual Microfinance India Summit 2013 is back to delve into ways of reviving sectoral activity, and explore ways of rebuilding the sector. This summit is being co-organised by ACCESS-ASSIST & ACCESS Development Services on the 9th & 10th December 2013 at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi. The Summit proposes to bring together sector experts, policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and journalists from across the industry to deliberate on the key constraints, and build strategies for the sector’s growth and expansion.
The two days of deliberations at the Summit will cover themes and issues pertaining to the MFI and SHG channels of microfinance, as well as ways of financial inclusion through the mainstream banking and agent banking models. With strategic deliberations on financial inclusion, covering the policies of large banks in enhancing access and last mile delivery as well as potential and possibilities of allowing small banks as new banking institution to provide an impetus to financial inclusion, are important themes of this year’s agenda. Specific technical sessions typically backed by studies and reports will deal with issues of leveraging Technology for Advancing Financial Inclusion , responsible finance practices in SHG linkage and status and issues in housing microfinance etc.
Rajiv Takru, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, and Govt. Of Indiawill inaugurate the summit and also release Microfinance State of the Sector Report, 2013 and Social Performance Report, 2013. The in-depth, well-researched reports collate the latest data and trends on financial inclusion, highlight current challenges and innovations, and showcase present perspectives and opinions within the sector. This would be followed by an elaborate discussion on financial inclusion in the sector-Vision 2020. Other important guests speaking at the Summit include Arvind Mayaram, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, GOI, Anurag Jain, Joint Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Govt of India, Arvind Kumar, Jt. Secretary, Department of Financial Services, MoF, GOI , Aruna Sharma, Dept of Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Social Justice, Govt of MP;N K Maini, Deputy Managing Director, SIDBI, Vijay Bhaskar, Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India, N S Vishwanathan, Principal Chief General Manager, DNBS, RBI, Stuart Milne, CEO, HSBC India, Robert Annibale, Global Director, Citi Microfinance and Community Development, Citigroup besides several prominent international speakers.
The 5th Microfinance India Awards will be presented at the end of the Day 1 of the Summit to celebrate and recognise the continued efforts and commitment of institutions and individuals across channels. The Microfinance Awards instituted in 2009 by ACCESS, with support from HSBC, is an endeavour to recognise the stellar contribution of select institutions, thought leaders, practitioners, policy makers, promoters and researchers towards responsible growth of the microfinance sector in India.
A special reflective publication “Microfinance India: Crests and Troughs” being brought out by ACCESS will also be released at the occasion of completion of the 10 years of Microfinance India Summit and will be presented to Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India in the Valedictory Session. .