Special features of the organization
INDICUS FOUNDATION was set up in 2011 seeking to contribute to the all-round progress of humanity and Indian society. It aims to achieve this through the building of communities that are inclusive financially, economically and socially. It defines progress as inclusive by definition, and is therefore a change that does not alienate but brings together the masses organically. , One of the most prominent works of the Foundation is in the area of financial inclusion, under the aegis of the Indicus Centre of Financial Inclusion. A good regulatory environment can ensure a cooperative yet competitive solution to the challenge of making digital payment mechanisms and credit accessible to the masses. Rather than blind advocacy, the Centre brings together bankers, telecom firms, regulators and the bureaucracy to openly share their views and concerns with each other. This interaction brings out many small and big ideas for systemic change. Indicus has a very strong base in financial inclusion policy work, with white papers, policy briefs and op-eds. Our team has brought out stellar policy pieces and op-eds on addressing the challenges in achieving universal financial inclusion in India. We have worked with organizations ranging from the Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Finance, Gates Foundation, Visa International, IAMAI and many others to help further the cause of making financial services accessible to the masses. , Over the period 2006-2011, Laveesh Bhandari and Sumita Kale worked on a series of white papers on enabling financial inclusion through digital technology to overcome India s vast geographic and economic challenges and accelerate access of financial services for the poor. This work incorporated how policy needed to change with the fast paced changes in digital technologies to improve accessibility to financial services. , The Indicus Centre for Financial Inclusion was launched in January 2011 with a view to enhance and systematize our efforts in the direction. The Centres aim has been to spur discussion and debate on different models for achieving universal financial inclusion in India, bringing stakeholders together to chart a common roadmap. The Centre also holds small closed door workshops on topical themes, where all participants work towards formulating key takeaways for policy and industry. These takeaways are shared through policy briefs to all stakeholders nationally. , Researchers at Indicus have been working on generating and analysing economic geography for more than a decade and a half. Some of the most important works in Indian economic geography was done at Indicus. More recently, we have been supporting research and analysis in this area in many different ways. Apart from in-house efforts, we have been supporting both independent researchers and institutions. Our support ranges from sharing our knowledge and expertise, sponsorship as well as advisory on demographic and economic analysis and appropriate policy recommendations.
