From the abstract: "This paper reports on the first randomized evaluation of the impact of introducing microcredit in a new market. Half of 104 slums in Hyderabad, India were randomly selected for opening of an MFI branch while the remainder were not. We show that the intervention increased total MFI borrowing, and study the e§ects on the creation and the proÖtability of small businesses, investment, and consumption."
Studies
Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, Rachel Glennerster, Cynthia Kinnan / India / 2009
Erica Field, Rohini Pande / India / 2008
From the abstract: "In this paper we use data from a field experiment which randomized client assignment to a weekly or monthly repayment schedule and find no significant effect of type of repayment schedule on client delinquency or default. Our findings suggest that, among micro-finance clients who are willing to borrow at either weekly or monthly repayment schedules, a more flexible schedule can significantly lower transaction costs without increasing client default."
Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo / Global / 2007
From the abstract: "This paper uses survey data from 13 countries to document the economic lives of the poor (those living on less than $2 dollar per day per capita at purchasing power parity ) or the extremely poor (those living on less than $1 dollar per day)."
Xavier Gine, Dean Karlan / Philippines / 2006
From the abstract: "Working with 169 previously formed group liability centers of approximately twenty women, we converted half to individual-liability centers (treatment) and kept the other half as-is with group liability (control). The weekly group meetings still occurred; only the group liability is removed. After one year, we find no increase in default and we find higher outreach due to more new clients joining the treatment groups."
Robin Burgess, Rohini Pande / India / 2005
Exploiting a government rule mandating that banks were required to open three branches in non-banked areas for every one they opened in previous markets, the authors find reductions in poverty and improvements in output due to previously unserved areas obtaining a bank branch.
Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo / India / 2004
From the abstract: "We begin the paper by laying out a simple methodology that allows us to determine whether ?rms are credit constrained, based on how they react to changes in directed lending programs."
Abhijit Banerjee, Kaivan Munshi / India / 2004
From the abstract: "This paper studies the effect of community identity on investment behaviour in the knitted garment industry in the South Indian town of Tirupur. We document very large and systematic differences in both levels of capital stock and the capital intensity of production in firms owned by people from two different community groups."
Pay up - or we'll send the eunuchs to see you: Debt collectors in India have found an effective new way to get their money
Julian West / India / 1999
Article examining the various methods of loan collection used in India.
Irfan Aleem / Pakistan / 1990
Studying informal lending in Pakistan, the author finds that "lenders' charges are equal to their average cost of lending but exceed their marginal cost. This finding is consistent with the view that the informal credit market is characterized by excess capacity and monopolistic competition in the presence of imperfect information."
