A low-income family living in rural India sits down to a nutritious home-cooked meal. The mother attended nutrition courses led by her local Angawadi worker during pregnancy and so understands the importance of proper nutrition, both for herself as well as her children. Each of her three children were breastfed, and she buys fortified products when she can. She includes lots of fruits and vegetables in her family’s diet. Unfortunately, however, her children have diarrhea often and are regularly sick. Despite her best efforts they remain
Read MoreHealthcare is BIG business, and as costs skyrocket worldwide, many are being left behind. While current healthcare spending in India exceeds Rs. 5 lakh crore, according to estimates by Technopak Healthcare, healthcare spending in India is due to reach $323 billion in 2023. Indian’s pay on average 60% to 70% of healthcare costs out of pocket andthe insurance market is growing steadily, revenue from insurance premiums in India still only amounts to about Rs. 15,000 crore. Though healthcare costs in India pale in comparison to
Read MoreWithdraw cash from an ATM, buy a bus ticket online, make a loan repayment at the bank. These are the seemingly mundane faces of financial inclusion, yet 2.5 billion people globally don’t even have a safe place to save money. Three quarters of the world’s poor don’t have a bank account, have no credit history, and aren’t eligible for any type of loan or financial assistance. In India alone 41% of the population is unbanked according to the Reserve Bank of India; in rural areas
Read MoreIndia is a world leader on many fronts; unfortunately malnutrition is one. “Home to one-third of the world’s undernourished children,” India has some of the highest global incidences of stunting, wasting, and underweight children. Though the country has made great strides towards improving nutrition through innovations in micro-nutrient fortification and food processing to combat hidden hunger, nutrition is a socioeconomically complex issue requiring an equally well designed solution. Research suggests that the “first 1,000 days following conception” are the most critical developmental phase, and “poor maternal
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