Those interested in the private sector microfinance in India should track Vinod Khosla's investments. He has put in a significant amount of money into microfinance organizations in India including $0.5M each in SKS Microfinance and Grameen Foundation India that I know of.
Given his new perspective on social investing including green technologies and microfinance with his new company Khosla Ventures and where he insists he STILL sees the potential for big returns, it might just be the revolution waiting to happen in India. For those who don't know, Vinod Khosla was one of the founders of Sun Microsystems and a celebrated VC with Kleiner Perkins. Googling on "Vinod Khosla and Microfinance" throws up some interesting blogs for reading. --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I agree C'da, this terrible and there are no excuses > for any country to have > a section of the population to take such measures. > > The only positive thing is that papers like the > TOI/HT/Outlook are keeping > the public aware of the sucides. The State Govt. it > seems has taken some > steps, maybe as a defensive stance, > > "There is a moratorium on loan recoveries. No one is > knocking at > farmers' doors demanding old dues. I have asked > police department not to > support such activities of bank staff," Patil said. > > And I agree lending practices to the poor and > specially the farming > community needs a thorough rethink for the whole > country. > > --Ram > > On 9/29/06, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > All in a day: Six farmers commit suicide > > [ 30 Sep, 2006 0254hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ] > > > > > > NAGPUR: Upbeat projections by Maharashtra chief > minister Vilasrao > > Deshmukh and generous financial promises from the > Centre aren't > > working in Vidarbha. At least six more cotton > farmers, crushed by > > debt, have committed suicide in the last 24 hours. > > > > The toll in September alone has gone up to 116, > the highest in a > > month within the last decade, Vidarbha Jan Andolan > Samiti, a pressure > > group fighting for the farmers's cause, said on > Friday. > > > > Deshmukh had claimed in the presence of Prime > Minister Manmohan > > Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi last week > at the Congress CMs' > > conference in Nainital that the situation was > improving in the cotton > > belt of Vidarbha where 318 farmers had reportedly > committed suicide > > since July 1. > > > > Earlier, the PM had announced a Rs 3,750 crore > special relief > > package for six worst-hit districts. Introduction > of BT cotton in > > Vidarbha has led to a spurt of farmer suicides. > > > > Most suicide cases relate to those farming > families which have run > > up huge debts because of the high cost in using > the expensive > > genetically-modified cotton seeds, which have to > be bought every year. > > > > Crop failures in this situation, therefore, leave > farmers with debts > > they are unable to pay and are then hounded by > loan sharks. > > > > The latest names on the Vidarbha death roster were > those of Prakash > > Madavi of Yavatmal, Parasram Rathod of Washim, > Ramesh Bhatkar of > > Chandur Bazar in Amravati, Gopintah Dongre of > Warud in the same > > district, Ravindra Chakbandalwar of Chandrapur > district and Rama > > Baghel of Gondia, according to Samiti president > Kishore Tiwari. > > > > Tiwari rejected the government claim that loans > were being liberally > > distributed to farmers. "In fact on Friday, a > large number of farmers > > started an agitation in front of Ghonsa branch of > Indian Bank in Wani > > taluka of Yavatmal district after the bank manager > declared that he > > had received instructions from superiors to stop > loan disbursement. > > > > > > Amravati divisional commissioner S K Goyal has, > however, stressed > > that the loan flow this year was doubled as > compared to last year. > > "Till date, we have given farm loans of Rs 1,500 > crore covering eight > > lakh farmers in the division, he told TOI > recently. "Last year about > > Rs 750 crore was distributed among around four > lakh farmers," he said. > > > > He also claimed relief measures like cash > compensation for crop > > losses, aid for medical treatment, funding for > mass marriage of > > farmers' daughters were made available to take > care of major problems > > of the distressed farmers. > > > > In addition to this, subsidies were given in > schemes aimed at > > supplementing income of farmers through poultry, > dairy farming and > > agri-processing business. > > > > Reacting to the latest deaths, Maharashtra deputy > chief minister R R > > Patil said the government was in a fix, because > all possible measures > > to address immediate problems of farmers had been > taken care of. > > > > "There is a moratorium on loan recoveries. No one > is knocking at > > farmers' doors demanding old dues. I have asked > police department not > > to support such activities of bank staff," Patil > said. > > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
