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Proliferation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has notably been playing a cardin... more Proliferation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has notably been playing a cardinal role in women empowerment, financial inclusion and poverty alleviation in India in the ongoing regime of economic reforms. ICT has proven to be a vital tool for enhancement of one’s productivity and hence earnings, reduction of manual efforts, higher standard of living, and above all, quicker and faster alignment with the developments in the rest of the world. In fact, the developmental role of ICT has been more prominent in various Governmental schemes for the empowerment of the women, the poor and other disadvantaged sections of the population. In the above context, with special reference to the case of ‘Kudumbashree’ – the poverty alleviation programme of the Government of Kerala, this paper makes a look into the role of ICT initiatives in empowering women, the problems and prospects of such initiatives, and finally offers suggestions for meaningful use of ICT for women empowerment and poverty alleviation.
Key Words: Inclusive Growth, Micro finance, Women Empowerment, ICT, Productivity

Mutual Funds industry in India is steadily growing in the ongoing reforms era, particularly since... more Mutual Funds industry in India is steadily growing in the ongoing reforms era, particularly since the 2000s when the industry has witnessed many innovations. However, Real Estate Funds(REFs) and its variants like Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) which are quite similar to mutual funds by structure are yet to pick up momentum in India, in spite of their tremendous growth potential; given the very low mortgage penetration in the country. Investments in REFs or REITs can offer significantly higher returns in India as against similar investment in developed nations. Accordingly, if properly developed REFs or REITs can significantly support the growth of residential real estate sector in India by attracting greater investment into this sector. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulatory authority in respect of securities market in India, has been trying to develop these innovative models for financing over the last few years. Its first attempt to bring in REITs in 2007 was not complete. Likewise, the second attempt of SEBI in 2008 to bring in a REIT regime in the REMF format was also not very successful for want of interest from the investors. Of late, as part of its third initiative SEBI has been successful in releasing the Draft of the Real Estate Investment Trust Regulations, 2013 and gathering the public comments on the above draft. SEBI has so far done a commendable job in taking into account international models and views of stakeholders. As SEBI is about to formally introduce the REIT regime in India in the early 2014, this paper makes a closer look into the features of the proposed REIT regulations, limitations thereof and accordingly suggests strategies to attract more investors into this innovative financial instrument; thus facilitating fast and sustained growth of housing and real estate sector in India, and hence the overall economic development of the whole nation.
Key Terms: Housing and Real Estate Sector, Housing Finance, SEBI, REFs, REITs

Concept of ‘Green Houses’ has become vitally significant in the contemporary centrality as the wa... more Concept of ‘Green Houses’ has become vitally significant in the contemporary centrality as the waves of green movement are sweeping across the world. Apart from benefits that such houses promise to the environment, they are cost-effective too. In spite of the sustainability and affordability benefits of Green Houses, in India they are yet to pick up momentum and the awareness regarding them among the general public is very little, unlike in the advanced nations where Green Houses and allied concepts are very popular. This paper makes a closer look into the vital significance of green, affordable and energy-efficient houses in the Kerala context, the current trend and pattern in respect of adoption of such housing practices and suggests strategies for promotion such houses for the benefit of the society at large without adverse environmental impacts.
Key Words: Green Houses, Green Rating, Cost-Effectiveness, Energy Efficiency.

Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM), a tool that believed to leverage customer ret... more Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM), a tool that believed to leverage customer
retention, loyalty and to attract new customers , is the magical formula used as 21st century business
strategy in banking to face competition .Customer Experience in ECRM for different customer
segmentation is different. Long-term relationships with customers are more important. Long-term
relationships, which rely on commitment and trust, unifying customer needs with Information and
technology adaption is not possible. ECRM strives to identify customers that provide the greatest
return to the banks coupling with human factor to it, and to optimize relationships with those
customers needs are segmented. To get loyalty from customers, their needs differ on geographical
segmentation.

It is widely recognized that Housing Micro Finance (HMF) has tremendous potential to solve the ho... more It is widely recognized that Housing Micro Finance (HMF) has tremendous potential to solve the housing problem of India as it can mitigate the ‘Real housing problem in India’ i.e. the housing problem of the poor in India. As high as 99.84 percent of the total housing shortage in India relates to the poor viz. those in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG) categories. In spite of the vast potential of HMF in addressing the real housing problem, it is yet to pick up momentum in India. In this context, this paper looks into the deterrents to the healthy growth of HMF based on the feedback from the bankers of ‘Bhavanashree’ (BS), which is the HMF initiative of the poverty alleviation programme of the Government of Kerala viz. ‘Kudumbashree’ (KS). Taking cues from the experience of BS, which is being taken over by the Government since June 2010, the paper makes suggestions for effective HMF implementation.

Housing Micro Finance (HMF) has got tremendous potential in addressing the housing problem of Ind... more Housing Micro Finance (HMF) has got tremendous potential in addressing the housing problem of India as it can mitigate the ‘Real housing problem in India’ viz. housing problem of the poor. As high as 99.84 percent of the total housing shortage in India relates to the poor viz. those in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG) categories. In spite of the vast potential of HMF in addressing the real housing problem, it is yet to pick up momentum in India. In this context, this paper looks into the worth, scope and socio-economic impact of HMF taking the typical case of ‘Bhavanashree’ (BS) the HMF initiative of ‘Kudumbashree’ (KS) – the poverty alleviation programmeof the Government of Kerala. The paper makes suggestions, learning from the experience of BS, which is being taken over by the Government since June 2010.