[UPDATE: The InSPIRE Young Professional program is now running from July 3-July 17, 2009. Applications for that trip are due on March 30, 2009]. After an incredible five weeks in India coordinating InSPIRE College, I’m excited to pass on the news of another opportunity for those outside of India who want a more intimate look [...]

The company has given its old black-and-white passbook a colourful facelift, using glossy paper, at once reaching out to its depositors and opening up a new revenue stream — through advertisements. And with that simple modification, SKS Microfinance’s leader Vikram Akula has managed to address multiple problems at once. First the addition of color and [...]

Solar power may go on the wide-scale in the western state of Gujarat as the Clinton Foundation is currently considering an “Integrated Solar City” in the Kutch or Banaskantha region.  If followed through, the investment would create the world’s largest solar project and will involve a number of players in the private sector. The project, [...]

Here is a great diagram putting the funds of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s endowment in perspective. Source: Technology, Health & Development

Ashoka Changemakers and Citi are partnering “in the search for innovative and cutting-edge methods that allow financial security to become a reality for everyone” by offering an online challenge titled “Banking on Social Change – Seeking Financial Solutions for All.” The competition is designed to reach the world’s entrepreneurs and challenge them to use their [...]

The field of microfinance is hot these days – some would argue too hot, in fact. In this flurry of activity, it seems its originally intended purpose – service to the poor – is in danger of being overshadowed by the pursuit of profit. As mentioned by Prerna in her previous post, Measuring the Social [...]

A post on Nextbilliion.net today announced that the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) just launched a new framework to measure social impact of a business or organization. While the name of the framework, Measuring Impact Framework, is not the catchiest in name, it is attempting to do something that has been a challenge [...]

In a series of articles on Slate.com, Mira Kamdar (of the World Policy Institute and author of Planet India) discusses the challenges and outlook for organic farming in India based on her visit to Punjab farms.  After an introduction to her visit and the history of the Green Revolution, Ms Kamdar delves into the reality [...]

The comments from a previous post questioning the value of urbanization discussed the need of developing rural industries and services. According to iGovernment, the government has made a real step toward this with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC), a non-profit, working together to promote the Rural Business [...]

[Source Article] After weathering multiple rebuffs, Nicholas Negroponte’s much touted One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project has finally found a foothold in India, in the form of ADAG (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group). The Digital Bridge Foundation, part of ADAG, is providing the technology backbone and logistics for installation of OLPC’s white and green laptops in [...]