Practice Area: Social & Rural

Social Entrepreneurship & Rural Opportunities in India

Our initiatives in this space have been distinctly successful due to our coalition approach with Governments, Non-Governmental Organizations and the private sector. Business-2-Business, Business-2-Consumer are common strategies. However in the rural sector, the governments and NGOs are critical in scale and development with the Bottom of the Pyramid sector in India.

Below Poverty Line segments have fundamental needs across healthcare, food, water, energy, education, awareness, financial tools, and economic development  - among many others.

The World Bank’s Country Strategy (CAS) for India for 2009-2012 focuses on helping the country to fast-track the development of much-needed infrastructure and to support the seven poorest states achieve higher standards of living for their people. The strategy envisages a total proposed lending program of US$14 billion, for the next three years, of which US$9.6 billion is from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and US$4.4 billion from the International Development Association (IDA).

The WB strategy is closely aligned with the Government of India’s own development priorities expressed in the Eleventh Five Year Plan. It was arrived at after a series of consultations with a broad range of stakeholders including the government and civil society. Under the strategy, the Bank will use lending, dialogue, analytical work, engagement with the private sector, and capacity building to help India achieve its goals.