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Title: Best Practices in Microcredit Governance: Lessons from Bangladesh

Abstract: The performance of two prominent microcredit providers—Grameen Bank and BRAC NGO—is examined in this paper, with particular attention paid to their different organizational structures and governance frameworks. As a borrower-owned cooperative, Grameen Bank promotes member involvement in decision-making, which, through group lending, encourages ownership and peer support but may also lead to social pressure. BRAC NGO, on the other hand, employs a centralized governance model and offers a thorough approach to micro credit that is in line with its larger social development initiatives. Although this strategy provides comprehensive assistance, it may not be as flexible to meet the needs of each borrower. Although borrower choices and economic conditions have an impact on their effectiveness, both groups aim to increase loan attachment and reduce poverty. While BRAC depends on a combination of donor money and revenue-generating operations, Grameen Bank places a higher priority on self-sufficiency. The impact and sustainability of microcredit systems might be improved by fusing the advantages of both models—BRAC's integrated approach and Grameen Bank's borrower ownership.

By Tahmina Akhter, Shanzida Hassan
In Volume: 14,Issue: 1
Title: A Study on the Trend Analysis of India’s Trade Relations with SAFTA Nations: A Review

Abstract: Countries participating in a regional trading arrangement (RTA) are typically heterogeneous, as evidenced by their variations in geographic size, population, gross national product (GNP), economic systems—reflected in the various types of commodities and services manufactured when traded — and the policy instruments employed through monetary, financial, and trade-related measures that affect national production and trade activities. The diverse attributes of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) members significantly impact their benefits from a Regional Trade Agreement (RTA). The South Asian nations within the SAFTA distinctly illustrate their intrinsic disparities while also highlighting an unsettling situation about the inequitable distribution of prospective benefits from through regional collaboration initiative. Although the members of SAFTA members have low-income and the nations are developing, among these —Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives, —are classified as least developed countries (LDCs) due to many significant challenges that impede their business expansion and development. Thus, the extent to which these issues may impact the SAFTA agreement and the measures India must implement is a crucial inquiry, which serves as the primary purpose of this article. This research also considers the influence among the SAARC members. Analysis of data from several pertinent sources covering the period from 2016-17 to 2022-23 reveals that commerce among SAFTA members has not expanded as considerably as anticipated. The statistical analysis conducted validates the suspicions of numerous scholars, indicating that the SAFTA countries are not genuine trading partners; instead, they frequently compete by exporting identical product categories. Given that this context renders significant growth in mutual trade improbable, the paper finishes with views on enhancing India's regional commerce.

By Manish Upretya, Pankaj Kumar Shah
In Volume: 14,Issue: 1
Title: Potential of Rural Earth in 21st Century Socio-Economic Study of Eastern Region of India

Abstract: Eastern Region of India (ERI) is the inclusion of four states namely – Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal. It has 171040 villages with a vast quantity of rural population. It also includes several tribes in various areas. ERI also has forest resource with several products namely - fuelwood, fodder, edible nuts, herbs, flowers, seeds, leaves, bark, roots, tubers, lichen, honey etc. It has tradition of non-veg and veg cuisines. It is known for hand woven clothes. Jewellery, furniture, baskets, etc. handicraft products have attraction for people in rest of India. ERI is sea coast rich region. It owns much from marine activities. It has thousands of villages. For the socio-economic development of RURAL ERI, 8 Regional Rural Banks are established. These RRBs are the joint venture of central government, state government and scheduled banks. Main aim of these RRBs is rural development. These RRBs are shaping their aim with commitment. In the ERI, deposits, advances of RRBs are increasing continuously, NPA is lessening. RRBs in ERI are earning profit. ERI-RRBs are trying best to achieve the aim. This fact is certified by balance sheets, annual reports, and documents of RRBs, NABARD, RBI and State Governments. Primary cum secondary data and tools are used. Research provides useful conclusion and suggestions for the insight of policy makers. ERI scenario will change completely if conclusions and suggestions of research are implemented according to spirit.

By Madhusoodan Tripathi, Vinayaka Tripathi
In Volume: 14,Issue: 1
Title: A SWOT Analysis on Service Quality and Hospitality in Star Hotels from an Indian Market Perspective

Abstract: Previous studies explain lots of insights on hotel management in terms of service quality, challenges, issues, and problems faced in the inns. However, there is a gap in bridging the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of hotels common faces. This study addressed the gap by approaching the customer-centric viewpoint. The study looks to ascertain the strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T) of the hotel management from a customer perspective and to find the connection among the hotel facilities and frequency of customer visits for staying. The results enlighten that there is significance between the hotel amenities, price affordability, and frequency of the visit of customers. Therefore, amenities consistently give guests a comfortable space to remain longer and foster a positive perception of the hotel. The research's results are restricted to the study region; they may vary over time and between regions. From a competitive perspective, service quality contributes to the hotels by increasing their strengths and opportunities and decreasing weaknesses and threats.

By M. Shanthi, R. Ganapathi
In Volume: 14,Issue: 1
Title: A Critical Review on Financial, Developmental and Supervisory Role of NABARD: With Special Reference to Functions of its Management Bodies

Abstract: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) formed in 1982 on 12th July is India's leading agricultural finance and rural development institution. This paper critically examines NABARD's development, financing, and supervisory roles with particular reference to the operations of its organizational hierarchies. NABARD performs as a support system for rural banking organizations' refinancing, financial inclusion, financing infrastructure operations, and promoting capacity-building schemes such as Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). Its departments such as Financial Inclusion and Development, Infrastructure and Development, and Supervision allow NABARD to support rural credit infrastructure and policy adherence. This paper assesses the performance of NABARD in rural development, climate resilient farming, and inclusive growth. Imbalanced credit flow to regions, over-reliance on government support, weak digital connectivity, and congruence of youth training skills remain issues despite these advancements. Despite these issues, NABARD remains a powerful instrument of sustainable rural development and farm advancement in India. This paper thus concludes the relevance of policy reforms, technology adoption, and greater autonomy to improve NABARD's long-term performance.

By Saumya Rai, Dinesh Kumar Tiwari
In Volume: 14,Issue: 1
Title: Islamic Banking in Bangladesh: A Case Study of FSIBL and Implications for Indian Islamic Banking Prospects and Societal Banking

Abstract: Islamic banking is reshaping Bangladesh’s financial landscape by offering a Sharia-compliant alternative to conventional banking, particularly through innovative community-driven micro-savings and micro-investment models. This qualitative study analyzes First Security Islami Bank Limited (FSIBL), Bangladesh’s first full-fledged Islamic bank (est. 1999), to draw insights for India’s emerging Islamic banking sector. FSIBL’s success in applying profit-loss sharing (PLS) models—such as Mudarabah-based micro-savings pools converted into agricultural investments and Bai-mode financing for SMEs—alongside mobile banking-enabled societal banking initiatives, demonstrates how Islamic finance can bridge financial inclusion gaps in developing economies. The bank’s CSR-linked community investment programs, which transform small deposits into Waqf-funded local projects, offer a replicable template for India. However, recent governance lapses and liquidity crunches highlight systemic risks in scaling these models without robust safeguards. The study addresses two questions: (1) How does FSIBL’s integration of microfinance with Islamic principles validate its viability in emerging markets? (2) What lessons can India adopt to leverage societal banking wings for grassroots capital formation while avoiding governance pitfalls? Findings reveal that participatory micro-investment frameworks require three pillars: strong Sharia governance (e.g., community oversight committees), depositor protection mechanisms (e.g., taka ful-backed micro-savings), and adaptive asset-liability management (e.g., blockchain-tracked PLS ventures). By examining FSIBL’s journey, the paper proposes actionable strategies for India to harness Islamic banking’s dual social-commercial mandate, advocating for regulatory sandboxes to pilot community savings-to-investment chains and tax-neutrality for micro-investment products. The study concludes that India’s vast SHG networks and digital infrastructure position it to outperform Bangladesh’s model—if integrated with ethical resilience and operational transparency.

By Abu Sayed, Nabila Aktia Chowdhury
In Volume: 14,Issue: 1

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