Project Year

2010

Region(s)

South Asia

Country(ies)

India

Project Description

This proposed study will conduct a comparative study of the financial diaries of the housemaids in the urban areas and farm laborers in the rural areas (those who make less than $2 a day) of Tamil Nadu which will yield insights into their financial behavior and will help financial institutions serve them better.

Researcher(s)

Lakshmi Kumar

About the Researcher(s)

Lakshmi Kumar has a doctorate in economics from IIT Madras. She is also a graduate in mathematics and in a postgraduate program in econometrics from the University of Madras. She has over 15 years of experience in research and teaching. Prior to joining IFMR, Lakshmi Kumar worked in The Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry as an economist for about three years. She has taught economics in the graduate program in Rizvi College and Sophia College in Mumbai, and worked on several research projects in SP Jain Institute of Management, Mumbai as a Research Associate. Her research interests include efficiency, benchmarking, and general equilibrium model in banking and gender dynamics in microfinance and developing micro insurance products for rural health insurance in development.

Synopsis of Research Results

Link to Lakshmi Kumar's Synopsis/Final Report, "The Consequence of Savings without Insurance: The Case of Sumathi & Shanthi"