Ujjivan

Three decades of being a banker afforded Samit Ghosh a ringside view of the biggest vulnerability of India’s financial sector-its failure to ensure true financial inclusion. This became the impetus for Ghosh’s second innings as the creator of Ujjivan, a pioneering venture to bring financial services to the urban poor. Since 2005, when it opened its doors for business, Ujjivan has seen rapid growth. Starting off as a microfinance organization that gave small,
unsecured loans to poor businesswomen, Ujjivan gradually expanded to offer agricultural, education, home-improvement, home-purchase, and livestock loans. Today, Ujjivan is a small finance bank. Its
burgeoning customer base and robust balance sheet are resounding proof that lending to the poor can be a good business, making it a shining example of conscious capitalism done right. Read Ujjivan: Transforming with Technology for a behind-the scenes look at how Ujjivan is chasing its credo-building a better life for those left behind.

Author Biography

Subir Roy spent four decades with leading publications in the print media, most recently with Business Standard. His key interests are public policy, information technology, affordable healthcare, and urban issues. He is the author of Made in India: A Study of Emerging Competitiveness (2005).