Vaya Finserv all set to launch MFI operations; Vikram Akula to lead
As Vaya prepares to start full-fledged operations as an NBFC-MFI, Business Standard covers plans for the future.
On the front lines of financing the poor.
Banking On Tablets In Rural India
This mini-documentary describes Vaya’s innovative usage of tablet technology to bring about financial inclusion. The use of technology makes processes easier, more efficient, and more reliable.
Jan Dhan Yojana has helped poor, but financial inclusion still far off
According to a World Bank survey in 2012, only 35% of adults in India had access to a formal bank account and only 8% borrowed from institutional and formal sources. A panel discussion at a banking conclave with experts in the financial inclusion space, including Vaya Chairperson Vikram Akula.
Mint Annual Banking Conclave | Vaya Finserv
Vikram Akula, Chairperson of Vaya, explains why he is excited about Vaya and the financial inclusion sector.
Vikram Akula Plans A Second Innings In Microfinance With Vaya Finserv
Vikram Akula, Chairperson of Vaya, lays out his plans for Vaya as it starts up.
Vikram Akula To Take 26% Stake In Vaya Finserv
In this article, Vikram Akula, Chairperson of Vaya, explains why he chose to invest in Vaya.
At The Crossroads
This article profiles Vikram Akula, Chairperson of Vaya, when he was about to take SKS Microfinance public. It describes in detail the moral quandary faced by microfinance institutions caught between their social responsibility and the need to sustain growth through profitability, at a time when the industry was still defining itself.
Boss's Day Out: Vikram Akula
NDTV talks to Vikram Akula, Chairperson of Vaya, about microfinance, how the model works, and spends a day seeing it in action.
Davos Annual Meeting 2010 - Meeting the Millennium Development Goals
Vikram Akula, Chairperson of Vaya, discusses the question 'How can the Millennium Development Goals for 2015 be met in the wake of the economic crisis?' as part of a World Economic Forum panel also including Bill Gates, Jeffrey Sachs, and Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (2010).
Special Session: Profiting from the Poor? A Discussion
A discussion between Muhammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and founder of Grameen Bank, Mary Ellen Iskenderian, President and CEO of Women's World Banking, and Vikram Akula, Chairman of Vaya about the nature of microfinance and the extent to which the profit motive and commercial financing have a place in the industry.
Putting the Power of Economic Development into the Hands of the Poor
Vikram Akula, Chairperson of Vaya, describes his experiences with making the microfinance model scalable and sustainable enough to reach India's masses.
How Surekha became a respected businesswoman
Armun's Entrepreneurial Journey
Balamani's first steps to a better life
Kavita's journey to a successful flower business
Kavita provides flowers and garlands for weddings, housewarming ceremonies and other functions. She took a loan through Vaya Finserv and increased her harvest and profits. With half her loan repaid, Kavita talks about her experience and hopes for the future.
Sangeetha's quest for independence and a higher income
Sangeetha has been rolling beedis for 20 years, but she was losing Rs. 50 of potential income every day because she couldn't afford to buy her own leaves. With Vaya's help, she's taken a step closer to independence.
Subbamma's route to a bumper harvest
Subbamma is a 35-year old sugarcane farmer who took it upon herself to form a 'sangam' - a group of women - so that they could all benefit from microloans. In 2015, she took a two-year loan from YES Bank through Vaya Finserv to increase her harvest. With the loan period drawing to a close, she tells us about her experience.
Gaya Devi's route to independence
Assisted by Vaya in starting her puffed rice business, Gaya Devi has found a way to be fiscally independent and stand on her own two feet. Here, she describes her experience.
Armun's entrepreneurial journey
Armun runs an embroidery business with her husband. They do intricate "zari" work on vivid saris. With Vaya's help, she bought materials and paid an artisan. Now that she has repaid her loan, she wants a second one to hire more artisans and increase production. She has five beautiful daughters whose future she wants to secure.
Balamani's first steps towards a better life
Balamani and her husband took out a loan of INR 60,000 for their daughter's wedding. Her husband is working off the debt with their creditor; an entire year's salary will go towards repayment. Balamani, meanwhile, washes clothes, takes up agricultural work and sundry small jobs to help out. With a loan from Vaya, Balamani bought a buffalo, and with it, a steady supplement to her income. With only a few months left until their debt is cleared, Balamani describes her experience with the loan and her aspirations for the future - she wants to run a dairy farm, turning that steady trickle of income into a viable, reliable business.
How Surekha became a respected businesswoman
When Surekha lost her husband to suicide 10 years ago, the care of their four children fell entirely on her vulnerable shoulders. With no business or work experience, it was difficult to find a lender who had faith in her ability to repay. But Surekha had faith in herself. With the help of Vaya's loan, she bought goats and became a goat farmer, learning about business and the management of money on the way. This is the story of her courage, resilience and optimism in the face of tragedy.
Shahana's roadmap to a bigger business and a brighter future
Shahana found her first loan from Vaya so useful to her business (apart from making flutes, she was able to help her son set up a mobile shop) that she took another loan soon after repaying her first one. 4 instalments into the repayment cycle of her second loan, she explains how she uses the loan money and what she hopes to gain for her business and her children.
Annapurna weaves her way to brighter pastures
Annapurna is a smiling young lady of very modest means. Every day, she weaves and sells towels. With Vaya's help, she was able to procure material in bulk. For her family, she dreams of owning a refrigerator, a grinder and her own home. For herself, she dreams of travelling, starting with Puri and Konark. Like so many of our customers, she is willing to work hard for a better future.
Sushama crafts a bigger business
Sushama is a quiet lady who has honed her expertise in the colourful craft of painted wooden idols of the famous Puri Jagannath deity. Her aspirations are simple and universal: a flourishing business and a better quality of life for herself and her family. With Vaya's loan, she can begin to lay the practical groundwork for the expansion of her business.
Sangamitra Jayamma
Through her job with Vaya as a field credit officer, Jayamma is able to both help support her family, and give the women in her community the financial support they deserve. She is an independent woman who takes pride in her work and is touched by the affection and respect customers show her.
Kavita's journey to a successful flower business
Kavita provides flowers and garlands for weddings, housewarming ceremonies and other functions. She took a loan through Vaya Finserv and increased her harvest and profits. With half her loan repaid, Kavita talks about her experience and hopes for the future.
Sangeetha's quest for independence and a higher income
Sangeetha has been rolling beedis for 20 years, but she was losing Rs. 50 of potential income every day because she couldn't afford to buy her own leaves. With Vaya's help, she's taken a step closer to independence.
Subbamma's route to a bumper harvest
Subbamma is a 35-year old sugarcane farmer who took it upon herself to form a 'sangam' - a group of women - so that they could all benefit from microloans. In 2015, she took a two-year loan from YES Bank through Vaya Finserv to increase her harvest. With the loan period drawing to a close, she tells us about her experience.
Gaya Devi's route to independence
Assisted by Vaya in starting her puffed rice business, Gaya Devi has found a way to be fiscally independent and stand on her own two feet. Here, she describes her experience.
Armun's entrepreneurial journey
Armun runs an embroidery business with her husband. They do intricate "zari" work on vivid saris. With Vaya's help, she bought materials and paid an artisan. Now that she has repaid her loan, she wants a second one to hire more artisans and increase production. She has five beautiful daughters whose future she wants to secure.
Balamani's first steps to a better life
Balamani and her husband took out a loan of INR 60,000 for their daughter's wedding. Her husband is working off the debt with their creditor; an entire year's salary will go towards repayment. Balamani, meanwhile, washes clothes, takes up agricultural work and sundry small jobs to help out. With a loan from Vaya, Balamani bought a buffalo, and with it, a steady supplement to her income. With only a few months left until their debt is cleared, Balamani describes her experience with the loan and her aspirations for the future - she wants to run a dairy farm, turning that steady trickle of income into a viable, reliable business.
Shahana's roadmap to a bigger business and a brighter future
Shahana found her first loan from Vaya so useful to her business (apart from making flutes, she was able to help her son set up a mobile shop) that she took another loan soon after repaying her first one. 4 installments into the repayment cycle of her second loan, she explains how she uses the loan money and what she hopes to gain for her business and her children.
How Surekha became a respected businesswoman
When Surekha lost her husband to suicide 10 years ago, the care of their four children fell entirely on her vulnerable shoulders. With no business or work experience, it was difficult to find a lender who had faith in her ability to repay. But Surekha had faith in herself. With the help of Vaya's loan, she bought goats and became a goat farmer, learning about business and the management of money on the way. This is the story of her courage, resilience and optimism in the face of tragedy.
Annapurna weaves her way to brighter pastures
Annapurna is a smiling young lady of very modest means. Every day, she weaves and sells towels. With Vaya's help, she was able to procure material in bulk. For her family, she dreams of owning a refrigerator, a grinder and her own home. For herself, she dreams of travelling, starting with Puri and Konark. Like so many of our customers, she is willing to work hard for a better future.
Sushama crafts a bigger business
Sushama is a quiet lady who has honed her expertise in the colourful craft of painted wooden idols of the famous Puri Jagannath deity. Her aspirations are simple and universal: a flourishing business and a better quality of life for herself and her family. With Vaya's loan, she can begin to lay the practical groundwork for the expansion of her business.
Sangamitra Jayamma
Through her job with Vaya as a field credit officer, Jayamma is able to both help support her family, and give the women in her community the financial support they deserve. She is an independent woman who takes pride in her work and is touched by the affection and respect customers show her.