Meenakshi Rajeev – författare

This book focuses on the issue of financial exclusion with particular reference to the urban informal sector in India. Continuing the work of its predecessor, the current Government of India is also placing considerable importance on driving policy initiatives for financial inclusion. However, financial exclusion in urban areas, especially of the lower strata of the society has not received the attention it deserves from researchers and policymakers, even though urban poverty and deprivations are of considerable importance in the present Indian context. The challenges of financial inclusion and accessibility in the urban areas differ substantially from those found in the rural regions given the fact that the possibility of physical access to financial services is much higher in urban areas. In order to provide a macro perspective, the book begins with an analysis of the unit record data on nature and extent of financial inclusion and access to credit in urban India, based on Debt and Investment survey data (59th and 70th rounds) provided by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). In subsequent steps, the book discusses findings from a primary survey carried out in the state of Karnataka of self-employed persons engaged in informal services sector. This exercise has helped to comprehend the ways in which they currently meet their financial needs for different income generating purposes, the terms and conditions under which they do so, and the challenges that remained for possible interventions. Experiences of other developing nations in their attempts to ensure financial inclusion and the lesson learnt thereby are the other highlights of the book.

This book on the fisheries sector in India, through primary surveys as well as secondary literature, brings out various nuances of the sector and its trade opportunities, the complexities surrounding the supply chain of fish, as well as the evolution of its marketing channels.

A distinctive feature of this book is that it carries out a comprehensive mapping of the fisheries supply chain, by taking into account both marine and freshwater fish. It identifies various players, especially traders who take part in the product flow, irrespective of the impact each of them has on the value provided to the end customer. While members of the supply chain include all individuals or organisations between whom interaction takes place, directly or indirectly from the point of production to consumption, this study also distinguishes between primary and peripheral members to make a complex network more manageable. Moreover, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the emerging marketing channels- both organised and unorganised- in this highly perishable food segment. It provides important insights into the current scenario, focusing on the emergence of newer forms of marketing such as multinationals and e-retailing, while highlighting how traditional forms such as ‘mom-and-pop’ shops have continued to sustain, despite the challenges they face. The findings from India are also compared to global experiences of other  fish producing and exporting countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand to offer a comparison of the differences and similarities in the supply chains of various countries.