Why Can’t Indians Get Loans? Ramakrishna on Ending Poverty, Social Investment & Microfinance

About Guest:Ramakrishna NK is the Co-founder & MD of Rang De, India’s first social investment platform, working to bridge the credit gap and drive financial inclusion. An Ashoka Fellow and social innovator, he has over 16 years of experience in microfinance, technology, and impact investing. Previously, he held leadership roles at IFMR Trust, Tech Mahindra, and Vignette Europe, specializing in financial technology and social impact solutions.In this podcast, we explored why most Indians can’t get loans and how Ramakrishna NK’s Rang De is solving this problem through social investing and microfinance. We discussed how small loans can change lives, why banks reject so many people, and what needs to be done to fix it. Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:00 College Days and Early Volunteering04:39 Organizing a Charity Event10:04 A Life-Changing Experience13:07 Post-College Journey15:43 Life in the UK and Future Plans20:50 The Importance of Local Solutions21:54 Challenges in Rural Development22:51 Creating a Media Platform for Change25:21 The Role of Microcredit28:48 Building a P2P Platform33:20 Overcoming Initial Setbacks37:47 Meeting the Techies from Infosys39:38 The Humble Beginnings and Initial Struggles40:41 Negotiating the First Deal44:26 Launching Rang De44:52 Early Partnerships and Roadshows50:02 Challenges with Legal and Financial Structuring53:44 A Million-Dollar Advice55:09 The SOS Email55:31 Connecting with Dr. Nachiket59:00 The Birth of Rangdev01:03:13 Challenges in Financial Inclusion01:04:36 The Reality of Credit Access in India01:11:29 Understanding the Financial Exclusion01:12:30 Value Propositions for the Community01:13:51 Creating a New Asset Class01:15:58 Challenges in Credit Accessibility01:17:34 Sector-Specific Credit Issues01:20:20 Navigating Regulatory Challenges01:24:36 Meeting the Mentor: Professor P. Sudarshan01:24:56 The Birth of Rangde's Idea01:26:36 Navigating Regulatory Changes01:27:52 Equity Investor Challenges01:33:14 RBI Application Process01:36:57 Revolutionizing Credit with Okin01:41:09 Understanding the Roles: MD vs CEO01:41:32 Assessing Credit Worthiness Without Data01:42:10 Impact Partners and Livelihood Programs01:43:35 Challenges of Non-Repayment01:45:32 Social Investors and Their Impact01:51:13 Future Predictions and Final ThoughtsCredits: Host: Shivank Joshi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivankjoshi-2001/Thumbnail: YaaSPost Production: YaaSSupport: Zerodha ( https://zero1byzerodha.com/network )Disclaimer:The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by the speaker and host are their own and do not represent those of the Exploring Minds platform. The information provided in this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. All products and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners, and their use does not imply any endorsement or opposition.#RamakrishnaNK #RangDe #SocialInvesting #FinancialInclusion #Microfinance #ImpactInvesting #SocialEntrepreneurship #AshokaFellow #LoansForAll #PovertyAlleviation #InclusiveFinance #InvestForGood #FintechForGood #EthicalInvesting #FinancialEmpowerment #CreditForAll #RuralDevelopment #SocialImpact #EmpowerThroughFinance #BankingTheUnbanked #InvestingWithPurpose #TechForGood #SmallLoansBigImpact #FutureOfFinance #LoanAccessibility #FintechInnovation #BridgingTheCreditGap #SocialLending #IndiaFinance #FairFinance