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Access to funding, lack of information and failure by entrepreneurs to provide business history, have been cited as some of the challenges facing startups in Africa. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP Access to funding, lack of information and failure by entrepreneurs to provide business history, have been cited as some of the challenges facing […]

Venture capital debt providers lend to start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the range of Rs.5-25 crore per transaction at an interest rate of 15-17%. Photo: Mint Mumbai: Indian start-ups, which typically raise equity from venture capital funds, are increasingly attracting non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), angel investors and even companies that provide working […]

There are interesting developments underway in Africa. The vast continent repeatedly made news in 2014 for being home to seven of the world’s fastest growing economies, and drew interest for having a large part of its growth driven by the Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) sector. This latter tidbit is crucial. It signals a move […]

“We are in a Catch-22 situation,” says Revathi Roy, a shareholder in Viira Cabs, a taxi service in Mumbai that employs only women drivers. “We can’t scale up because we don’t attract investors, and investors are not interested in us because we don’t have scale.” ‘Women’s taxi companies’ such as Viira and Priyadarshini Taxi Service […]

Management attitude is key: The management’s approach and perspective are key towards shaping the organisational culture. The tone at the top is essential when it comes to mitigating fraud in businesses and dealing with issues related to compliance. Induce a collective conscience: The ethical fabric of an organisation is critical for the creation of sustainable […]

Mumbai: Impact investing firms, which invest to deliver social benefits alongside financial returns, have put $1.6 billion (around Rs.9,600 crore) into India since 2000, mostly in companies in sectors such as healthcare, micro-finance, and financial inclusion, according to Intellecap, a social advisory and investment banking services firm. The number of foreign investors looking to invest […]

Sankalp Unconvention Summit 2014 kicks off today in Mumbai drawing more than a thousand people from over 30 countries. In its sixth year now, the event is an initiative of Intellecap’s Sankalp Forum. The first-ever impact investment landscape report for India will be unveiled, detailing how $1.6 billion has been pumped into more than 220 […]

It’s a long road to the coveted Sankalp Social Enterprise Awards trophy. India’s leading social enterprise awards run through a process that lasts close to 6 months, and sees a hard-fought battle. Only open to enterprises that are operational, have displayed a proof of concept and earn revenue, the awards recognize the best enterprises from […]

Community social impact is not just about making someone financially independent, it’s about creating a sense of self respect in people,” says Rangan Varadan, CEO and Co-founder, MircoGram. A PhD in finance and economics from the Lehig University and ex-Head of Banking and Capital Markets Domain and Competency Group at Infosys Technologies, Varadan is on […]

Nairobi was the place to be on the African social enterprise scene last week. With a wide range of meetings, conferences and workshops taking place, there is palpable excitement about the potential for innovative social solutions to tackle intractable development problems on the continent in inclusive and sustainable ways. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Overseas […]