Preliminary Program
10-13 November 2019
Sunday
Departure from European cities and arrival in Delhi
Monday
Introduction to the impact investing industry and BlueOrchard
Head office meetings with governmental body/financial regulator, microfinance institutions and SME lenders
Tuesday
Travel to Noida, a satellite city outside of Delhi
Head office meeting with India’s largest agri-risk solutions company to insurance and financial sectors
Meetings with micro-entrepreneurs and SME clients from various sectors
Wednesday
Sight-seeing tour to Taj Mahal followed by meetings in the vicinity of Noida with micro-entrepreneurs
Travel back to Dehli for farewell dinner
India, one of the most populous countries in the world, is forecast to continue experiencing GDP growth of over 7% p.a. and is expected to be the world’s fastest growing major economy in 2019. Whilst India rose 23 places in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2018 rankings, there remains progress to be made given its 77th position out of 190 countries. Despite the economic growth in recent decades, 22% of the population is still under the poverty line with the literacy rate at 69%. The microfinance sector plays a critical role in extending financial services to underserved communities across the country and encouraging broader based economic growth. BlueOrchard’s Phnom Penh office, established in 2010, covers investments in South- and South East Asia. To date, BlueOrchard has invested over USD 580m worth of disbursements across 35 MFIs and SME lenders in India.