INDIAmicrofinance

Hotel Ashok, New Delhi

October 30 to 31, 2006

National Bank for Agriculture And Rural DevelopmentIndia's Apex Bank for Rural Development

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ICICI Bank

Hkkjrh; LVsV cSadState Bank of IndiaSIDBI

The Association ofCommunity Development

Finance Institutions

S a - D h a n

Friends ofWomen's World Banking

Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation

FordFoundation

BackgroundBackground

INDIAmicrofinance

Hotel Ashok, New Delhi, October 30 to 31, 2006

Microfinance INDIA I

Conference ThemesConference ThemesImpact of Microfinance

Expanding the reach of microfinance deliveryto urban India

Ensuring the positive impact of microfinance is a primary concern for Microfinance India and will therefore continue to be an on-going theme in the Conference. Microfinance is increasingly being acknowledged as a powerful strategy with the potential to create economic opportunities for a large number of people who have yet to benefit from the overall economic growth taking place in the country. Microfinance is also seen as an effective tool for achieving the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty. As microfinance grows, it is critical to continually assess its impact on empowerment, access to education and health services, asset acquisition and gender inequities.

There is a need to identify and refine effective approaches and methodologies that measure the effectiveness of microfinance programmes. While the scale of Microfinance services have significantly grown, the sector still has little reliable information on the social and economic impacts of microfinance on the poor.

In 1998, around 15 million urban slum dwelling households were estimated to need microfinance. Studies estimate the demand to be in the range of Rs. 130 - 150 billion per annum. Beyond doubt, this demand has multiplied over the years. This increasing demand was also recognized by the Hon. Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dixit, who at the 2005 Microfinance India conference expressed her faith in microfinance as being a key driver to reduce poverty. Reaching out to this unbanked population presents a clear challenge for Indian microfinance.

Expanding microfinance services to reach the under-served and un-served is an integral part of Microfinance India's vision. For this reason, one of the main themes of this year's conference will be to discuss and devise strategies of expanding microfinance services to urban areas. A leading study on urban microfinance in India assigned by MSDF, ICICI Bank and CARE India will provide the base for discussions.

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Objectives of the ConferenceObjectives of the Conference

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Session PlanSession Plan

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Session 1: State of the Sector

Lead Presentation by Dr. Prabhu Ghate, Author of the 2006 State of the Sector ReportThe 2006 'State of the Microfinance Sector' report will be presented; this is intended to measure the progress of microfinance in India on an annual basis, and to identify current critical issues.

This will be a first of its kind effort to assimilate the full entirety of the Sector's issues, experiences within the divergent models, new initiatives, innovations, report on key indicators, portray a balanced view on the issues, perspectives of key stakeholders on sector issues, among others.

Session 2: Impact of Microfinance at the Client Level

The results of recent and rigorous impact assessments will be presented and discussed. These will inform participants how access to microfinancial services is affecting their growing numbers of clients, and will also demonstrate best current practice in impact assessment methodologies.

Session 3: Optimizing SHGs

This session will enable participants to learn from the results of a major in-depth study of the light and the dark sides of SHGs, their members and their non-members, their financial and their social achievements, their successes and their failures.

Session 4: Role of the State, Markets and Civil Society

Microfinance in India has reached a stage where different methods, different sponsors and different institutions can collide, can collaborate or can compete. Recent events have shown how collision can happen, and the session will show what can be learned from the experience.

Session 5: Breakaway Sessions

5A. Key Challenges in Upscaling Microfinance

Microfinance in India is growing very fast, as it must if it is to cover all the people who need its services. Growth is not easy, for new specialist institutions, or within larger banks with many other activities. This session will describe some of the ways in which growth has been successfully assisted and achieved.

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5B. Financial Inclusion

Microfinance involves much more than credit, and governments all over the world, in rich as well as poor countries, are encouraging financial institutions to bring the benefits of formal financial services to everyone who needs them. Microfinance is one way of doing this, and this session will illustrate how the broader concept of financial inclusion can be applied in practice.

5C. Transparency

Investors, donors, lenders, regulators and above all clients must have full and open access to information about MFIs. It is all too easy to conceal vital information about interest rates, portfolio health or social outreach, deliberately or otherwise. Representatives of institutions which generate, disseminate and use this information will share and discuss their experience.

5D. Microfinance and Disaster Preparedness

Poorer people suffer the most from natural disasters such as the Tsunami, as well as from man-made destruction. Microfinance can help people to rebuild their livelihoods, but MFIs must be ready to respond rapidly to problems of this sort. Speakers in this session will describe how this has been done in a variety of situations.

Session 6: Mitigating Urban Poverty Challengesthe role of microfinance

The poor in India's cities will soon outnumber those in the villages. India's urban areas have until recently been relatively neglected by microfinance, Speakers in this session will describe the scale and the needs of this new market.

Session 7: Sharing Experiences in Urban Microfinance

Urban microfinance offers new challenges, and new opportunities. Some institutions have already learned a great deal from their entry into the urban market, and they will describe their experiences, in order to assist others to learn form them.

Resource PersonsResource Persons

Microfinance INDIAVI

1. Delegate Name - Prof. / Dr. / Mr. / Ms.

Last Name: ____________________________ First Name:___________________________

2. Organisation: _______________________________________________________________

3. Designation: _______________________________________________________________

4. Area of Work:_______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

5. Address:___________________________________________________________________

City ___________________ State ____________________ Zip_______________________

Phone: _________________ Fax:_________________E-mail ________________________

6.a.) Passport: Number* __________________________________________________________

Date of Issue ______________________________________________________________

Place of Issue ______________Valid till_______________ Nationality ___________________

1. Indian Rs. 2500/ USD 60 Rs. 3200 / USD 80

2. Foreign USD 125 USD 160

8 I am enclosing my registration fees:Rupees: ________________________USD: ______________________________________

By Demand Draft /Cheque (within India only)** No. ____________________________________

Dated: _________________________________

* Only for foreign nationals

** Please add Rs. 40 as collection charges for outstation cheques

DELEGATE' S SIGNATURE

C/o CARE INDIA, Second Floor, 27 Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi-110 016Ph: +91 11 2656 6060 (Extn. - 686/628) Fax: +91 11 2656 4081Email: microfinanceindia@careindia.org INDIA

microfinance

Hotel Ashok, New Delhi October 30 to 31, 2006

Your early response will ensure your confirmed participation. The Registration Form is enclosed which can be photocopied for multiple use. The last date for regular registration fee is October 10, 2006. After October 10, 2006, registration will only be allowed with the additional fee as mentioned below.

Registration Fee:Registration & Information Desk:

Indian Organisations:

Till October 10, 2006 Rs. 2500/ USD 60October 10, 2006 onwards Rs. 3200/ USD 80

International Organisations:

Till October 10, 2006 USD 125October 10, 2006 onwards USD 160

Registration Fee Covers:

One representative per organization. Admission to Conference SessionsLunch and refreshments on 2 conference daysParticipation in all Technical SessionConference Kit

Registration forms can be downloaded from www.microfinanceindia.org

Please fill and fax/mail form and payment to:

C/o CARE INDIA, Second Floor27 Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi - 110 016

Ph: +91 11 2656 6060 (Extn. - 686/628)Fax: +91 11 2656 4081Email: microfinanceindia@careindia.org

Payments may be made by Demand Drafts/ Cheque (within India) favouring 'Access Development Services'. For outstation cheques within India, please add Rs. 40 as collection charges.

Fees do not include accommodation and related charges. Please carry confirmation receipts to the event venue.

Registration InformationRegistration Information

Be an effective platform for sharing knowledge among academics, practitioners and policy makers;

Synthesise and share existing knowledge and practice with respect to the two core themes;

Showcase challenges, best practices and innovations in Indian and global microfinance;

Gain a broader perspective on the inter-linkages between policy, practice and theory and identify opportunities for synergising energies and initiatives;

Be a forum that promotes convergence our strategies among participants helping them network, share successes, trials and tribulations.

Articulation of the future directions for Indian microfinance specially with respect to the core themes and assess the future of the same in the global scenario;

Microfinance India, as its contribution to the Sector, will launch the first STATE OF THE SECTOR Report. This will be the first effort to assimilate the full entirety of the Sector's issues, experiences within the divergent models, new initiatives, innovations, report on key indicators, and to give a balanced view of the perspectives of key stakeholders on the key sector issues confronting microfinance in

Expected Outcomes forMicrofinance India 2006

Expected Outcomes forMicrofinance India 2006

Who Should AttendWho Should AttendThe event will interest a wide range of stakeholders in microfinance, including policy making and influencing agencies, government representatives, investors and wholesalers, banking sector representatives, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, microfinance practitioners (managers and senior staff of MFIs) as well as researchers and consultants interested in both the policy and practice of microfinance. The event aims to attract substantial international participation and will be unique opportunity to learn about the spectrum of microfinance models indigenous to India as also look at India specific implementation and policy environment.

Event Managed by:

NEUMECH EVENTS

access Development Services

IntellecapS H A P I N G O U T C O M E S

Technical Associates: Media Partner:

www.smallchange.in

microbusinessmonthlySMALL

CHANGE

Research Associate

I N S T I T U T E F O R F I N A N C I A L M A N A G E M E N T A N D R E S E A R C H