Door-to-door ‘pygmy bankers’

Asha, one of India's door-to-door 'pygmy bankers'

As the effects of the financial crisis are felt globally, many Indian households are saving more and more with the help of door-to-door bankers.

Saving may be simple if you've got a healthy salary and a bank account, but there are millions who have a small income, are illiterate and don't have access to the conventional banking systems.

Many of those people without bank accounts are helped by so-called 'pygmy bankers' – individuals who run door-to-door savings schemes collecting small or ‘pygmy’ sized amounts of money to save for their clients.

Outlook’s Shilpa Kannan in Delhi met one 'pygmy banker', Asha Tanwar, and spent the day with her to find out how these people on low incomes are saving even the smallest amount for the future.

Listen Listen to the Outlook interview