Helping Communities Manage risks from the ground up.

 The MIA has teamed up with the Meghayala Rural Development Society (MRDS) and the Livelihood Improvement Finance Company of Meghalaya (LIFCOM) to explore the potential for microinsurance in the north eastern state of Meghalaya (India). 

The MIA has prepared a scoping study to support the formulation of an implementation strategy to extend social protection in the region. The scoping study focuses on the supply and demand of microinsurance in Meghalaya. 

For this purpose, MIA has recently conducted exploratory field work alongside local research associates. This demand-side study involved focus group discussions with community members, key informant interviews with providers, and site visits with additional stakeholders in five districts within the state. 

As a part of this larger effort, a desk study is currently underway to create a compilation of existing insurance providers and their policies. It will assess the relevance of insurance products to the area and their perceived effectiveness in the local context. These 'off the shelf' insurance solutions will be compared with both traditional risk management practices and the demand for insurance in the target communities. Ultimately, the MIA will formulate recommendations on how microinsurance can be implemented in Meghalaya in a manner that will address the gaps between supply and demand in the state.