Citi increases its microfinance work across the region

While most banks across Asia seem to be focusing on the high-net-worth market in Asia, some are also concentrating on the promising mass market. Most view licences in China as an opportunity to capitalise on the China Dream others see microfinance as a means to build long-standing relationships across the region.

According to the India Development Foundation, nearly 9 million Indian households that had access to microfinance moved above the $1.25 a day consumption threshold between 1990 and 2010, indicating that microfinance might be helping.

Last week, Citi announced two programmes designed to help promote financial inclusion in Asia and push people above the poverty line. One...