Dharma Life has partnered with Shell Foundation and the UK Government to test alternative credit assessment frameworks for rural entrepreneurs and consumers – with the purpose of developing a credit assessment tool that is relevant and scalable in rural and emerging markets.
The study explores ways to overcome the challenges in providing credit to rural entrepreneurs and consumers for social-impact products.
The research covers:

• learning from the initial rounds of designing, prototyping and testing a suitable credit assessment tool for rural entrepreneurs across Dharma’s networks;
• results from large-scale implementation and ability to gauge credit worthiness from a variety of personal, community and entrepreneurial indicators;
• the potential amplifying affect such tools can have on the adoption of high-impact products such as solar lights, cookstoves, water purifiers and income-generating assets.