The ‘Next Billion’ is a somewhat familiar term to those in the telecom/ICT sector. This Boston Consulting Report considers the ‘next billion’ in financial services.
The report reveals many parallels with the ‘next billion’ talk in the telecom sector, except for the fact that this realisation has already been made in the telecom industry whereas, according to this report, the financial sector is just on the verge of making that same realisation in a big way.
It looks at those traditionally excluded from financial services, because they are deemed a non-commercially lucrative group to serve. It argues that by adopting innovative business models, these groups can become commercialy viable to serve.
One of the strategies that the report recommends is collaboration with other industries, specifically taking example from the mobile sector. It notes the growth in mobile subscribership in developing countries where new mobile customers are being added faster than new banking customers. However, the prerequisite for such collaborations with the mobile indstry is regulators allowing telecos to ‘straddle industry borders.’
Workshop: Digital Tools for Strengthening Public Discourse
Today, LIRNEasia hosted a workshop to launch digital tools created by Watchdog Sri Lanka, funded by GIZ’s Strengthening Social Cohesion and Peace in Sri Lanka (SCOPE) programme. Researchers, practitioners, activists and journalists attended to learn about these tools, and how they can potentially help them in their own lines of work.
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