History

The culmination of many problems in the Satara District led to the formation of Mann
Deshi Mahila Bank. An annual rainfall of only 5 inches has slowed local agriculture (GDP
growth in this area is less than 4% annually), driving many into urban centers in search of work.
Consequently, nearly 50% of students leave school before the 10th standard in search of service
sector jobs.

Early in life women become primary caregivers in the household and are forced out of
schooling for local women, the illiteracy rate is as high as 65%. Many who remain in the area
are those who have no opportunities elsewhere, thus, the area is primarily comprised of
scheduled caste, backward caste, and other backword classes (OBC) members of whom over
75% are below the poverty line.

The Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank was founded by illiterate, rural women who won
a hard-fought battle for a banking license from the Reserve Bank of India - the top regulatory
authority in India. Since then, the bank has grown from start-up share capital worth US$15000 to
assets worth US$6,846,667 in 2009-2010. Mann Deshi is proud of a repayment rate of 98% and
has over 127,000 clients

Measuring Our Progress

Institutional Growth:

Mann Deshi now reaches almost 127,000 clients throughout the state of Maharashtra and
has increased its client base 12 times since 2003. Mann Deshi has had a profit since 2001 and is
the largest microfinance institution in Maharashtra and the second largest microfinance bank in
India.

Measuring our Progress

Year 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Total Deposits $735,813 $1,000,061 $1,261,491 $1,652,526 $2,060,706 $2,652,921 $3,448,000 $6,047,911

Total Advances $528,406 $704,675 $867,070 $1,239,207 $1,531,410 $1,718,705 $2,413,600 $3,204,756

Clients 9740 11,020 24,244 48,260 58,279 81,304 98,700 127,000

Impact Assessments:
Financial Literacy Impact Assessment:

The Mann Deshi Group began implementing the Financial Literacy program in 2007 to
improve their clients’ knowledge of savings and loan basics. An impact assessment of the
program was carried out from June-August 2009. The primary objectives of the assessment were
to determine the quantitative impact of the course on the Bank in terms of savings, loans and
repayment rates and to gather qualitative feedback from clients and trainers. The assessment was
conducted in two stages and with 150 clients, using both survey interviews and the Bank’s
database to compile time series data.

The assessment found that clients who take the Financial Literacy course improve their
weekly savings, take out more and bigger loans for more productive purposes, and repay more
consistently. More specifically, clients who have completed the Financial Literacy course take
out Rs. 3,503.69 ($74.55) more in loans for more income-generating purposes, such as starting a
new business, than clients who have not taken the course. They also take out 0.60 more loans and
thus are 50.0 percent more likely to be an active loan client. In terms of repayment, former
Financial Literacy students miss 0.12 fewer scheduled loan repayments and are 2.4 percent less
likely to default than clients who have not taken the course. Finally, clients who took the
Financial Literacy course started saving nearly 3 times as much, from an average of Rs. 63 a
week before taking the class to an average of Rs. 185 after.

Mission
Our mission is to provide women in impoverished areas with an innovative combination
of financial and non-financial services that will help improve their standard of living. We aim to
increase their quality of life by providing capital and financial training services which will lead
to rural economic empowerment and financial inclusion.

Who are they ?

The Mann Deshi Mahila Group is comprised of three district organizations:
Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank (Mann Deshi Bank) is a regulated cooperative bank run
by and for women. Founded in 1997, it was India’s first rural financial institution to receive a
cooperative license from the Reserve Bank of India. Today Mann Deshi is the largest
microfinance bank in Maharashtra with over 100,000 clients. Mann Deshi Bank is a pioneer in
the microfinance world of India, offering its clients individual and group loans, savings,
insurance and pension plans.           

Mann Deshi Foundation is a NGO organization that provides a variety of non-financial services
to Mann Deshi Bank clients, such as financial and business management training, community
radio, as well as women’s health and farming workshops.

Mann Deshi Mahila Bachat Gat Federation (Self-Help Group Federation) is a non-profit
association aimed at helping rural women entrepreneurs. The federation currently consists of
more than 2,462 SHGs.

Location
The Mann Deshi Bank headquarters are in Mhaswad, a nagar in the district of Satara,
south of Pune. Its operations cover various districts in Maharashtra such as parts of Satara,
Solapur, Sangli, Raigarh, Ratnagiri, Pune and Kolhapur districts. The Bank has six branches in
Mhaswad, Vaduj, Gondavale, Dahiwadi, Satara, and Lonand.

Awards
2006 Microfinance Process Excellence Award

Mann Deshi Mahila won the 2006 Microfinance Process Excellence Award, sponsored by ABN
AMRO Bank and PlaNet Finance India.  The goal of the competition is to foster the adoption of
process management practices and improve the visibility and transparency of microfinance
institutions. The competition also ranked quality of services and impact at the client level.  

International 2005 Ashoka Changemakers Innovation Award

First prize in International 2005 Ashoka Changemakers Innovation Award, which promotes
market-based strategies that benefit low-income communities. The award drew applications from
128 institutions in 38 different countries 

Finalist Schwab Foundation 2007: Awarded to organizations that have worked towards rural
social entrepreneurship 

Ashoka Innovators for the Public: granted lifetime membership to Chetna Gala Sinha.
Includes funding for 3 years and lifetime assistance and collaboration with the NGO and other
Ashoka fellows. 

Harvard University Bridge Builder 2003: recognized the work and innovation of Chetna Gala
Sinha and Mann Deshi Mahila Bank. 

Yale University World Fellowship Program 2002-2003: selected Chetna Gala Sinha, for the
inaugural class.

Other Awards

 “Rajarshi Shahu Gaorav Puraskar 2010” received by Rajarshi Shahu Chatrapati

Memorial Trust, Kolhapur
 
 “EdelGive Social Innovation Honors 2010 (Livelihood Category)” award received by
Edel Give Foundation on 4th March, 2010
 
 “Beti” movement award received to Mann Deshi by Ninth GR8! Women Awards,
2010 to promote & further the ‘beti’ movement yet again...
 
 Public Awards Committee of  Rotary Club has selected Mann Deshi for the Rotary Club
of Bombay's Anita Parikh Award for Empowerment of Women for the year 2009/10.
 
 Chetna Sinha received the first Godfrey Phillips Bravery Amodini Award on 11th
September, 2009 by Godfrey Phillips.  This prestigious award is, in recognition of special
contribution to the benefit of women; particularly in some of the poorest areas in rural
India and for having transformed the lives of thousands of women through micro-
financing and financial literacy. 

 Chetna  Sinha received “Rani Laxmiibai Puraskar” on 7th March, 2009 from  Cyclo
Transmissions Ltd., Satara.  This award is given to the women who have done
outstanding work in various fields.
 
 Chetna Gala Sinha received Smt. Sushiladevi Deshmukh Smruti Mahila Puraskar
2007 from Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank's Association, Mumbai.
 
 Microfinance Process Excellence Award 2005 finalist: by Planet Finance ABN-
AMRO Bank.
 
 Citizen Based Initiative Award 2001 of Ashoka Innovators and McKinsey & Co. for
creation of women collectives and asset building with the mobilization of the local
resources.
 
 Shri Nanaji Deshamukh and the Rajiv Sheth Sabale Foundation Award 1999
presented by for work completed with drought-affected women.
 
 Shri Naganath Nayakawdi and Jyotiba Phule Samajik Sanskrutik Pratishthan
Award, 1997 for work among Dalit women.
 
 Governor of Maharashtra Shri P. C. Alexander Award 1994 for work in
development. The award was sponsored by Vasantrao Naik Krishi Sansthan va Gramin
Vikas Pratishthan.
Team of Mann Deshi :
Chetna Gala Sinha, Founder/Chairperson: Chetna has dedicated her life to empowering
women. In 1997 she founded the Mann Deshi Mahila Group in Maharashtra, and has since
served as its Chair. In 2002, Yale University appointed her as a World Fellow, and in 2003
Harvard University recognized her as a Bridge Builder. Chetna has received numerous additional
awards for her pioneering work with women in drought affected areas of Western Maharashtra.

Rekha Kulkarni, Chief Executive Officer: Rekha began working at Mann Deshi in 2000 as a
clerk, and was promoted to Branch Manager four months later, then Bank Manager in 2004,
eventually becoming the CEO of Mann Deshi Bank. She has received training from the Reserve
Bank of India in cost management, recovery, asset liability management, and impact
assessments. Rekha has received invitations to lecture at the Harvard Kennedy School, the
University of Portland, Ashoka Innovators, and the International Center for Research on Women.

Vanita Shinde, Chief Administrative Officer: Vanita joined the Mann Deshi group in 2006 as
Computer Officer and was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer in 2008. As CAO, she has
served as Director of the financial literacy program, and designed financial literacy, insurance,
risk management, loan, and savings curriculums for the business school. She gives
administrative support to the Bank, the Foundation and the Business School and also serves as
the Chief Coordinator for all international interns that volunteer at Mann Deshi.

Sushma Shendge, Chief Financial Officer: Sushma joined Mann Deshi as a cashier in 2004 and
worked in various branches of the bank at different positions before she was promoted to Cheif
Financial Officer in 2006. She has received training from the Reserve Bank of India for their
OSS system. In addition to overseeing the operations of all bank branches and enforcing the
adherence to RBI regulations, Sushma also manages the loans and funds received from larger
banks as priority sector lending.
Board of Directors
Mann Deshi Bank Organization

Chair Chetna Vijay Sinha

Vice-Chair  Manjusha Rajkumar Suryavanshi
Board of Directors Sulekha Shivaji Shinde
Geeta Ganesh Rasal
Monica Anilkumar Vhora
Deepa Jagannath Mane
Subhadra Shrirang Zimal
Varsha Laxman Khade
Swati Nitin Chichkar
Nirmala Madhukar More
Shakuntala Bhujangrao Nalwade
Vaishali Sudhir Shaha
Vimal Dilip Ghutukade
Rupali Suresh Sonawane
Lalita Sahebrao Pol
Sitabai Appa Pukale
Sangita Mahadeo Katkar
Sangita Giridhar Katte
Rani Sanjay Gorad

Expert Directors : Mr. Kashinath Raut

 Chief Executive Officer Rekha Sunil Kulkarni

The Mann Deshi Foundation

The Mann Deshi Foundation serves as the NGO arm of Mann Deshi Mahila Group.
Established in 1994, the Foundation works injunction with the Mann Deshi Bank by providing a
variety of non-financial services to their clients aimed at improving the quality of life for rural
women and their families in India.

Mann Deshi Foundation Programs

Mann Deshi Udyogini (Rural Business School for Rural Women) provides women with no
formal education or who have dropped out school the essential financial and business tools
needed to successfully start or expand their own businesses

Mobile Business School is a custom-built bus used by Mann Deshi Udyogini to reach women
in the remotest areas

Financial Literacy is a core course offered through Mann Deshi Udyogini, which imparts
training on loan repayment and the importance of savings 

1000 Deshi Entrepreneurs Program aims to create business role models of 1,000 promising
rural women entrepreneurs by providing them with a mentor and business management training
through Mann Deshi Udyogini to help them achieve significant business growth

Community Radio initiative builds local capacity and empowers women to improve their lives
and those of their families through creative programming

Women’s Property Rights projects have been administered by Mann Deshi Foundation
through a combination of government lobbying and activism  

Women’s Health Education program teaches women in self-help groups about nutrition,
sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive health, and breast and ovarian cancer 

Farming Programs offered through Self-Help Groups provide women in the agricultural
sector veterinary services, access to animal feed, and entrepreneurial training for raising animals
and improving management of dairies 

Kiosk Program gives farmers the opportunity to strategically plan and manage farming
activities and wisely market their products 

Freedom Ride: To Keep Girls in School program provides bicycles to rural girls through
interest-free loans, making it possible for them to attend school 

Umbrella Program distributes umbrellas though interest-free loans to street vendors to protect
against sun exposure.
Bank Services :

Insurance :

Mann Deshi provides Life Insurance for clients between the ages of 18 and 60 and will insure
amounts from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000. Clients can choose between the following 3 products:

 A 0-5 year annual policy.

 A 10 year annual policy which covers you for 15 years and returns your premium.
 A 10 year annual policy which returns your premium plus 25%.

Currently Mann Deshi is exploring different options for Health Insurance, and will implement
these policies in the near future .

Loans :

The Mann Deshi's credit programs, which encourage women to build assets by providing micro-
loans, finance a variety of asset-building enterprises including startup business and training.
Unlike many other MFIs, Mann Deshi sees the importance in consumption loans to finance
healthcare costs, marriages, childrens' education, and housing. Depending on each woman’s
needs, Mann Deshi Bank offers different types of loans:

 Short term loan (1 year)

 Long term loan (2-5 years)
 Loans against deposit (1 year)
 Loans against gold (1 year)
 Gold Loans (1 year)

Today more than 127,000 women make deposits with the Bank and their accounts have become
their assets. Crucially, if women take out a loan with the Bank, their husbands must make them
co-owners of all of the family's property. Today 32,115 women have used self help groups
(SHG) and bank loans to gain access to their family assets.

Individual loans :

Individuals can receive loans of less than Rs. 15,000 ($375) with the signatures of two other
women, who serve as guarantors.  Those requesting more than Rs 15,000 must put up some form
of collateral - a house, farmland, or livestock. Individuals may also take out loans using gold or
their deposits as collateral (Loan Against Gold and Loan Against Deposit).  The Bank gives 70%
of the gold’s value and 80% of an individual’s deposit as loans

Group Loans :

Women can form Self-Help Groups (SHG) and borrow from the bank at a cooperative lending
rate. The SHG then re-lends the money to their members.

The Federation of Self-Help Groups (Mann Deshi Mahila Bachat Gat Federation) consists of
more than two thousand self-help groups, which are made up of self-employed women such as
vegetable vendors, milk sellers, and weavers.

The federation receives financial support from the Indian government and conducts group
savings and credit transactions with the Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank.

Pension :

Mann Deshi’s newest financial service is a pension scheme, designed to ensure continued
financial security for their clients. 

Clients between the ages of 18-55 can save on a weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly schedule. 
When they reach the age of 58, these women will receive a monthly payment based on
accumulated savings and compound interest. 

We have established a partnership with UTI Mutual Fund to provide this important security to
our clients.

Savings :

The bank has created savings and loan products which equip women with liquids assets. The
bank requires all of its borrowers to open savings accounts and to save regularly- daily, weekly,
or monthly.

There are 3 types of saving accounts:

 Regular Savings: maximum of 2 withdrawals per week

 Term Deposits: held for 15 days to 3 years
 Weekly and Monthly deposits: held for 6 months, 1 year, or longer
Mann Deshi is one of the few banks in the country that does door to door savings every day, in
order to encourage regular savings.

E-Cards :
Door Step Banking through “e-card”: “Mann deshi is providing unique door step
banking to poor women and have helped women to come out from the trap of money lenders. 
Mann deshi has net work of pigmy collection agent whop provides door step services for pigmy
savings and at the end of day pigmy device is hooked in to the system and data is transferred in
to banking system. ”E-card” solution helps rural women to bring all the accounts at in one card. 

Today in rural India nearly 60% household do not have bank accounts and 90%
household do not have loans.  “e-card” solution can door step banking which Mann deshi is
providing can provide financial access to remote and poor population .

Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank Ltd. has launched a one of its kind “e-card” program
for rural women in Maharashtra on 9th May, 2010 at Mhaswad, Satara. The program for the day
included flagging off bicycles for girls, felicitation of graduates of the Business School, narration
of certain clients’ experiences and a speech by respected Dr. K. C. Chakrbarty deputy Governor
RBI India Mr. Stuart Davis, CEO, HSBC India.

Incorporating e-card Technology

Mann Deshi is undertaking an initiative to become one of the first rural banks in India to
utilize cutting-edge e-card technology for its banking operations.  These plastic ‘cards’ displays
women’s names and photographs, utilizing micro-chip technology to store financial information. 
The cards instantly allow the Bank’s field agents and clients to view savings account balance,
loan account status, and repayment history.  The use of e-cards will increase the efficiency and
business capacity of the Bank and provide clients with enhanced security and service.  The card
benefits the clients by discreetly keeping her account information free from unwanted inquiries
and alterations.   

The e-card is another one of Mann Deshi’s continuous endeavours to serve the rural
women. It brings with itself several benefits to make the entire process of banking simpler, faster
and more convenient for the rural women. The e-cards will not just enable security of the
account information of the holder but also provide a sort of status symbol for the women who
carry it. It will help eliminate the redundancy brought about by creation of multiple accounts by
customers at different points and times. The e-card is a giant leap towards automated banking
enabling enhanced reach and faster expansion. Together the device and e-cards as a system hold
the potential to make door-to-door banking more comprehensive so as to include not just
collection but also account creation, withdrawals and loan grants.
Internships :
Mann Deshi has been accepting interns for the past 10 years. Students, professionals and
dignitaries from all around the world have come to see Mann Deshi's pioneering efforts in
advancing the lives of rural women in India.

Partnerships :
The UTI Mutual Fund has formed an active partnership with MDMSB to create the first
pension scheme for rural micro-entrepreneurs.

 Harvard Business School's Gyaana Group generates interest in MDMSB & Sanstha among
students and young American entrepreneurs. Specializing in linkages between microfinance
institutions and education institutions, the Guyana group has been a valuable partner in
developing the Bank / Sanstha's vocational loan programs.

 We hold an SGL (Secondary General Ledger Account) with The Bank of India, one of India's
largest corporate banks. Through this account, The Bank of India administers our investments in
government bonds & securities.

 The Reserve Bank of India, India's central bank, monitors the bank and certifies its credit and
savings programs. Mann Deshi Mahila Bank is currently registered with the RBI as a cooperative
lending institution and the RBI has given the bank permission to operate in the whole state of
Maharasthtra, the first women's development bank in India to be given this privilege.

 The OBC (Other Backwards Caste) Corporation has formed a partnership with Mann Deshi
Mahila Bank and the Mann Deshi Foundation. Through the OBC loan programs, the bank is able
to provide subsidized loans to members of Self-Help Groups.

Clients
Mann Deshi is committed to promoting micro-enterprise among its clients. Mann Deshi
has 127,000 clients and over 19,838 active borrowers; roughly one-half of these borrowers own
micro-enterprises, while the other half are street vendors or day labourers.

The average age of our clients is 36, and they live in households having at least two
children and both in-laws. At the bank their average monthly savings is around Rs. 75 ($1.88).

 
More than 85% of our clients come from the "priority or weak sector", as designated by the
Reserve Bank of India. Around 70% of our clients come from backward castes and scheduled
tribes. Mann Deshi is proud to have become the only bank in the country to have more than
12,000 members from backward castes, who serve as share holders and help to decide the policy
of the bank through the Annual General Body Meeting.

Features :
Mann Deshi’s highest priority is our clients. We aim to improve the lives of our clients
holistically, by providing a unique combination of financial and non-financial services. Through
the Mann Deshi Mahila umbrella of operations, we are able to offer financial services, business
insight,
health services, and group advocacy. Mann Deshi’s first seven years of operation has produced
numerous business highlights:

Promoting the right of women to own property: In early 2004, the Mann Deshi Bank
succeeded in convincing the Revenue Department of Maharashtra to include women’s
names on stamp papers, which are required in transactions of immovable properties.

Encouraging home ownership among the rural poor: The Mann Deshi Bank has
created an incentive for women to become homeowners by giving them a one-percent
rebate on interest paid.

Creating women leaders: Mann Deshi has trained several hundred women to lead selfhelp
groups, manage accounts, and keep financial records.

Gaining national and international recognition: In 1997, the founder of the Mann
Deshi Bank, Chetna Sinha, received an award from the Governor or Maharashtra, as well
as an Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurs. Five years later, she was selected for
Yale University’s first class of World Fellows. Ms. Sinha has twice participated in the
Bridge Builders Conference at Harvard University. Additionally, the success of the bank
has become a microfinance case study at Harvard’s JFK School of Government. In 2005,

Mann Deshi Mahila was a Planet Finance Finalist and received an Award for Excellence.

Smart Card Technology

Mann Deshi Mahila has put cutting edge technology into the hands of its rural female clients.
Mann Deshi Mahila Bank is one of the first banks in India to utilize Smart Card technology. A
plastic ‘credit card’ is replacing all of Mann Deshi Mahila’s paper client passbooks. The card
allows both field agent and client to instantaneously view savings account balance, loan account
status, and repayment history. The card benefits the client by discreetly keeping her account
information free from unwanted inquiries and alterations.

Mann Deshi Mahila Mobile Hat

The newest innovation of Mann Deshi Mahila is the Mobile Hat, a mobile center designed to
bring products and services to clients in the most remote and rural areas of Maharashtra. The
Hat sells enterprise related products and personal consumption items that were previously
unavailable to our clients. For example, the Hat sells local street vendors oversized umbrellas.
This is one simple yet effective way to protect one of a woman’s most important assets – her
health. The umbrellas reduce a woman’s risk of falling ill, which directly affects her ability to
earn. The Mobile Hat is also stocked with the products of local women, thereby increasing their
distribution and income capabilities. A unique and innovative feature of the Mobile Hat is its
credit linkage with the Mann Deshi
Mahila Bank. By offering our clients an instant credit link, we are further empowering our
female clients to have control not only of their savings, but also of their expenditures.
Reducing the need for a large cash transaction ensures that a woman’s money is spent only
where she intends to spend it.

Women’s Property Rights

The Mann Deshi Bank won a victory in 2004 when it convinced the Revenue Department of
Maharashtra to include women’s names on stamp papers. Stamp papers are duties levied on
transfers of immovable property. By including the names of women, the papers recognize a
woman’s right to household property. Women can now use these papers in court to prevent their
husbands from selling or divesting household property.

The Bank has also found more innovative ways of getting women to own property. In 2003, the
Mann Deshi Bank helped one village to win a state government-sponsored “Cleanest Village”
competition by convincing all the men in the village to share the legal title to their property with
their wives - some even volunteered to transfer all of the property to their wives. The men
agreed to the transfer because they wanted the financial reward as well as the coveted
distinction that their actions brought to the village. The women, in turn, took extra care to keep
their newly acquired properties sparkling clean. In the end, the village won the cash prize in
addition to several government-run schemes.

Girls’ Education
The Bank, along with Mann Vikas and the Self-Help Group Federation, provides low-interest
loans and some scholarships for girls to attend school. It also lends bicycles to girls who can’t
afford to take the bus to school. As of December 2004, the Bank has lent 200 bicycles under
its Bicycle Program.
Mann Deshi in Numbers
7,00,000.00 Rs.: HSBC’s investment into our Business School
1,25,000.00 Rs.: the Association for India´s Development grant to the Agricultural Kiosk
Project
57: the number of schools that participated in our Girls’ Education Competition
45: the number of villages in Mann Taluka that received drinking water storage tanks
from us
3: the number of sewing machines purchased for the Mobile B-School
0 percent: the interest rate on loans we distribute to street vendors for the purchase of
shelter
umbrellas essential to
Mann Deshi 2010 Figures :

Mann Deshi Bank Mann Deshi Udyogini

Total Clients 1,27,000 Graduates 27,453

Shareholders 12,434 No. New Loans 21,960
Savers 50,961 New Businesses 16,470
Active Borrowers 19,838 Locations 5 + 2 Mobile
Recovery Rate 97.05% Courses 42
Innovative New Programs

Establishing a Business School for Rural Women

The Business School for Rural Women (BSRW) is a new program that will provide
training in technical, financial and marketing skills to women without formal education and girls
who have dropped out of high school, allowing them to start and improve their own small
enterprises. The Business School will offer guidance on business start up, including loan options
for seed capital. The business school will create entrepreneurial opportunities for women to
assimilate to rural job markets and strengthen economically-weak communities. The Busines
School will also feature a mobile classroom to serve women in the most remote areas. We have
recently established a partnership with HSBC Bank to fund the start-up capital for this innovative
and exciting program.

Creating Kiosk Centers for Farmers

Mann Deshi has recently established its first Kiosk Center, intended to give farmers the
opportunity to strategically plan and manage farming activities and wisely market their products.
The services offered at the Kiosk Center include the provision of the government-announced
prices of various agricultural products, fertilizer and pesticide compliances, and crop diagnosis.
Functioning as an agricultural market information clearing house and farmers’ social hub, the
kiosk center will enhance the existing local farmers’ organizations as well as their farming and
marketing skills. We have recently established a partnership with the Portland, Oregon chapter of
AID to fund the seed capital for this groundbreaking new initiative.

IncorporatingNewTechnology
 Mann Deshi Mahila Bank is constantly looking for new technology to bring to our
clients. As our customers grow with the changing business environment, our Bank must work
hard to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of our clients. As the women of Mann Deshi
gain exposure to technological advances, we find that the cycle of empowerment is perpetuated.
As women adopt new technologies, not only are their businesses faster and more profitable, but
the women also gain confidence in themselves and their importance in the community is
enhanced. Despite our rural location, Mann Deshi Mahila has found that the continued utilization
of technology provides for the maximum empowerment of our women.

The first technology we introduced to our women was the calculator. Surekha Chourumle
remembers learning to use the calculator for her work as a collection agent:
“I did not trust the calculator for several days. At first, I only trusted my head to do the
calculations correctly, so I would refigure each calculator calculation by hand, to make sure it
was accurate. After time, I realized that it was accurate and it was also extremely fast! Using the
calculator has allowed me the speed to increase my clients from ninety, to three hundred. My
business is now very successful and I am able to earn much more since I started using the
calculator.”

Sonale Awade, a street vendor, has also benefited from incorporating technology into her
business. She explains the benefits cell phone technology brought to her business: “As a street
vendor, I vend on the road all day, from morning until night. Having easy access to a phone
allows me to place orders for additional fruit without leaving my business. It is also important
that I be able to keep in touch with my family through they day and that my children can reach
me if they need me. I have also heard of other women in villages who are earning extra money
by lending their cell phones to other street vendors who need to make personal calls.”
These technologies have helped women run their businesses and keep in touch with their
families. Mann Deshi will continue to incorporate appropriate technologies as they become
available.