- Dr. Manmohan Singh invited to inaugurate the summit; Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and Cherie Blair to be key speakers
New Delhi, 14th October, 2009: Microfinance India Summit, a national advocacy platform, initiated by ACCESS Development Services, has announced that the 6th annual conference will be held from October 26th -28th in New Delhi, this year. The summit aims to address issues concerning the trade-offs and points of convergence in the microfinance sector and the balance between building social as well as financial capital. Continuing in this tradition, the theme for this year is "Doing Good and Doing Well: The need for balance".
The summit is known for hosting prominent personalities in the sector as key speakers and attendees. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has been invited to inaugurate the summit and the inaugural session will be addressed by Mr. Brij Mohan, Chairman, and ACCESS Development Services. There will also be a special address by Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai, CEO, HSBC India and Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands.
Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, recently designated as Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has been engaged with microfinance since 2005 when she became involved in the Advisors Group to the International Year of Microcredit. In 2006, Princess Máxima joined the United Nations Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors, which had the broader remit of addressing the issue of wider access to all financial services for poor and low-income households and micro and small businesses. In this vein, the Princess wants to continue her work for the Advisors Group by entering into dialogue with businesses, donors, legislators, supervisors, microfinance institutions and international organisations on the role they could play in improving the access to financial services.
Mrs. Cherie Blair, President, Cherie Blair Foundation will be giving the special address at the Microfinance India Awards which are to be instituted by HSBC and ACCESS. Mrs. Blair is an active campaigner on equality and human rights issues and has spoken across the world on both issues. Cherie Blair is involved with over 20 charities with a special emphasis on those working with women and children. She is President of the Loomba Trust and Patron of a number of charities including Breast Cancer Care.
On the announcement of the summit, Mr. Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS stated “The microfinance sector in India has significantly evolved over the last 15 years and today represents about 36% of the poor served by microfinance globally. The key speakers and attendees this year are not only prominent names in India but are also known globally for their work in microfinance. Financial inclusion is a worldwide phenomenon and economies across the world are now acknowledging its importance.”
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