A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z All
Dhar, Samirendra Nath
- Ensuring Sustainability of Self-help Groups through Effective Marketing Strategies: An Empirical Study
Authors
1 Post-Graduate Department of Commerce, North Bengal University, Darjeeling., IN
2 Department of Commerce, Alipurduar College, Darjeeling., IN
Source
International Journal of Marketing and Business Communication, Vol 2, No 1 (2013), Pagination: 39-48Abstract
Since the mid-1980s, government of different countries, NGOs, and international donors have been giving attention and assistance to small women entrepreneurs. They have increasingly become a key target for micro finance programmes. These micro-entrepreneurs, most of them being women, are identified as micro finance beneficiaries since they are the target group entitled to receive the benefits of micro finance programmes. Traditionally micro finance programmes were aimed at removing constraints of availability of finance for operations and asset building of micro entrepreneurs. Today the micro finance schemes are recognising the fact that without proper marketing innovations and strategies it would not be possible for the micro finance beneficiaries to sustain their enterprises in the long run. Micro finance programmes in India have also stressed upon marketing as a vital tool for sustainability of enterprises operated by the beneficiaries. The guidelines of the programmes specify that Government and Non-Government Agencies should render specific services and allot definite amount of funds for piloting marketing programmes for micro finance beneficiaries. The guidelines also specify the importance of carrying out market surveys before product specific micro enterprises are set up in rural areas. This study while delving into the importance of marketing strategies for micro finance beneficiaries, takes up the case of micro-entrepreneurs engaged in making pottery and terracotta items in a rural belt in the district of Darjeeling, West Bengal. Through personal observation, interviews, and administration of structured questionnaires, the production techniques, marketing avenues, problems in marketing and help from Government agencies like the District Rural Development Centre have been explored. It has been found that though a variety of items are produced and marketed by the beneficiaries in local markets, out-station fairs and through middlemen, they face a host of problems with regard to marketing. The paper therefore recommends some policy prescriptions to ameliorate these problems and evolve proper marketing strategies for microfinance beneficiaries.Keywords
Marketing Channels, MicrofinanceReferences
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- Business Correspondents as Catalysts of Financial Inclusion – Empirical Evidences from North Bengal
Authors
1 Department of Commerce, University of North Bengal, West Bengal, IN
2 Department of Commerce, Alipurduar College, West Bengal, IN
Source
International Journal of Banking, Risk and Insurance, Vol 4, No 1 (2016), Pagination: 42-52Abstract
In recent years the approach for financial inclusion in India has been to make provisions for every person to have access to a bank account and avail essential financial services. While implementing the recent programmes, it was realised that it was not possible to reach the milieu with brick and mortar bank branches in every nook and corner of the country, rather it is better that the bank makes efforts to reach the doorsteps of the people through business correspondents and business facilitators. The aim of the Business Correspondent (BC) model is to develop and sustain the association between unbanked populace and the formal financial system. However, the BC model introduced in India by RBI in 2006 has many problems, as found out by some studies.The present study is an empirical investigation into the systems and problems of Business Correspondent field workers in North Bengal. The study was taken up in the three districts of North Bengal which has a very low level of financial inclusion. Through extensive field research the authors try to find out what functions BCs actually perform in the field and importance of the functions as perceived by them and assess the problems inherent in the systems and the difficulties encountered by the field level workers through Importance Performance Analysis. The authors also try to gauge the financial benefits those accrue to the field level BCs from their operations and assess the viability of the financial inclusion strategies in this respect. The authors have used 32 operational indicators in attempt to analyse the problems in an Importance- Performance Analytical format and identified the areas which need to be concentrated on.