Swadhaar, Accion, and Airtel Money: Mobile money for female customers in India
In January 2013, Swadhaar, a microfinance institution in India, and Accion, an international NGO, launched a mobile money pilot in partnership with Airtel Money and Axis Bank. The pilot aimed to enable Swadhaar’s loan customers to repay their monthly loan instalments using mobile money. In January 2014, Accion and Swadhaar were awarded a GSMA Connected Women Innovation Fund grant to improve the pilot mobile money solution, in particular by revising the customer education materials and implementing a Peer Educator Connection Programme. This case study describes the journey of the pilot, and shares recommendations for creating similar mobile money solutions.