Three decades of being a banker afforded Samit Ghosh a ringside view of the biggest vulnerability of India's financial sector—its failure to ensure true financial inclusion. This became the impetus for Ghosh's second innings as the creator of Ujjivan, a pioneering venture to bring financial services to the urban poor. Since 2005, when it opened its doors for business, Ujjivan has seen rapid growth. Starting off as a microfinance organization that gave small, unsecured loans to poor businesswomen, Ujjivan gradually expanded to offer agricultural, education, home-improvement, home-purchase, and livestock loans. Today, Ujjivan is a small finance bank. Its burgeoning customer base and robust balance sheet are resounding proof that lending to the poor can be a good business, making it a shining example of conscious capitalism done right. Read Ujjivan: Transforming with Technology for a behind-the scenes look at how Ujjivan is chasing its credo—building a better life for those left behind.
