Intellecash’s adopts the McDonald’s model with ‘microfinance-in-a-box’ to reach out to untapped geographies
Vineet Rai( of Intellecap & Aavishkar) is one of the most interesting people I have met in the social sector. His fertile mind has been responsible for a Social VC Fund( Aavishkar), a leading Microfinance consulting firm( Intellecap), and now a unique franchising model to take microfinance to every nook and cranny of the country( Intellecash).
Simply put, Intellecash is ‘micro-finance in a box”!
Through a franchising model, Intellecash offers to help local entrepreneurs set up a micro-finance business. What it offers in ‘a box’ is tools, training, processes, and hand-holding. When I met Vineet, his team- led by Chris Mitchell- was living inside Holambi Kalan( North-West Delhi), in order to hand-hold the Delhi-based microfinance institution, Aajeevika, which has engaged Intellecash.
Apart from Delhi, this franchising model is underway in Maharashtra, HP and Mizoram.
The Intellecash hypothesis is that micro-finance has yet not focused on the really-poor states of North & East India. To be able to do so rapidly, only a leveraged model like franchising can deliver.
While the jury is out on the eventual success of this ambitious plan, Intellecash is busy identifying interested entrepreneurs who may be keen to take the franchising option to run micro-finance ventures in their local markets.
Given my firm belief in leveraged, outsourced models to drive reach in a vast country like India, I would place my bets on the Intellecash strategy.
