In The Business Of Financial Inclusion

From academics to financial services, Goa-born Kshama Fernandes takes on the challenges of financial inclusion, head on; and is lauded for her leadership in the sector.

- Alexia Fernandes

IN TODAY’S WORLD business opportunities seem ample, yet a majority of the population remains on the fringe of the economic systems, living without access to key financial services.

Without access to financial services such as small loans or borrowings, the obstacles of overcoming poverty or attaining financial stability are insurmountable. There is however, an innovative solution that can connect small businesses to investment pools.

Kshama Fernandes, along with her talented and committed team, worked relentlessly at building a business structure that addressed one of the most challenging problems of the country – the problem of financial exclusion. “It is our mission to reach out to those Indians who find it difficult to get a housing loan or a business loan because they are not a part of the formal system. Banks and other financial institutions that have the capital, do not fully understand these segments. And hence originators that specialise working in these segments find it hard to raise finance. Our job is to bring in the capital to originators who provide finance to such informal sectors,” she says. her dedication to the cause of financial inclusion and her impressive style of leadership has put her at the helm of financial innovation in the country.