We analyze an oligopolistic microcredit market characterized by asymmetric infirmation and institutions that can offer only one type of contract. We study the effects of competition on contract choice when small entrepreneurs can borrow from more than one institution due to the absence of credit...

Microfinance institutions, despite the presence of competition and informational asymmetries, typically offer a limited variety of contracts. Assuming price competition, we propose a simple theoretical explanation for this behavior and study its consequences in terms of strategic interaction and...

This study while validating the increasing role for financial intermediaries in economic development has attempted to highlight the importance of reduction of transaction costs for financial deepening and consequent economic growth. It is elucidated that higher transaction costs of borrowing for...

Poverty is one of the conspicuous features of the developing economies in Africa. It is more sever in Eritrea where the size of its economy is small, significant economic growth and transformation may take place if Eritrea exploits all opportunities for export of goods and services and is open...

This micro-level study has made an attempt to analyze demographic & activity status along with the behavioural trend of selected landless (BPL) families in least developed rural areas. It has enhanced the necessity of improving demographic and activity status revealed in such families, in a...

In this study, we have considered two states of India one from North (Uttar Pradesh) and other from south (Kerala). The objective of this present paper is to measure the inequality in terms of standard of living index for both states and Uttar Pradesh and Kerala by using popular statistical...

Indebtedness, a huge and growing burden in the rural countryside, particularly among the poor farmers is the single factor for agrarian crisis. So rising indebtedness of sugarcane growers in last years lead to suicides of the growers. Hence, proper measures should be undertaken to reduce the...

While analysing the independent relationship between groundwater irrigation and the rural poverty, the results of the study had shown that there is a significant inverse relationship between the incidence of rural poverty and groundwater irrigated area. In most states where today the incidence...

Most Microfinance institutions (MFIs) worldwide focus their efforts in relieving the poor from financial constraints through micro-loans. This research focuses on integrating a money management and entrepreneurial training plan to a lending program in a non-profit MFI in Kolkata, India. The...

This paper discerns between two alternative objective functions for not-for-profit Microfinance Institutions (MFIs): profit maximization and poverty targeting. I use the strategic branch location choices of the two largest MFIs in a mature, concentrated market to reveal their objectives. I...