Fullerton Myanmar: Delivering financial inclusion through social impact and technology

Publication Type

Case

Publication Date

4-2018

Abstract

This case is set in 2017, three years after Fullerton Myanmar (FFMCL), a microfinance institution (MFI) in Myanmar, was founded by Fullerton Financial Holdings, a Singapore-based firm that invests and operates financial institutions in Asian emerging markets. Since its inception, FFMCL has been able to establish itself as one of the top five MFIs in Myanmar in terms of loans outstanding, despite numerous challenges related to the country's limited infrastructure, competition from other MFIs, the dispersion of the population and the difficulty in reaching rural communities.

To achieve its mission of "Enabling Success, Enriching Lives", FFMCL has demonstrated tremendous growth in providing loans to microenterprises in Myanmar through the use of technology. The company has established an ambitious growth plan of expanding coverage fivefold in the next five years, and its leadership is pondering what is the best strategy it should follow to achieve this plan. Given the advances in technology as it relates to mobile financial services and big data analytics, what role does technology play in FFCML's plan, and what strategy should the company follow to achieve its plan?

This case offers students the chance to explore the underlying dynamics of the microfinance sector in Myanmar, and understand the process of planning and setting up a new microfinance business in Myanmar. In addition, they can study the strategy that MFIs could follow in order to scale their operations in a competitive market, and recommend ways for MFIs to scale while helping the poor. Finally, it would also provide an opportunity to explore the role of technology in the microfinance sector.

Keyword(s)

microfinance institution, Myanmar, scaling up, social impact, financial inclusion, technological innovation

Discipline

Asian Studies | Finance | Finance and Financial Management

Research Areas

Strategy and Organisation

Data Source

Field Research

Industry

Banks and Diversified Financials, Other Diversified Financial Services

Geographic Coverage

Myanmar

Temporal Coverage

2017

Education Level

Executive Education; Postgraduate; Undergraduate

Publisher

Singapore Management University

Case ID

SMU-17-0029

Comments

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Additional URL

https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/3541

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