The Base of the Pyramid.....

The Base of the Pyramid (BOP) is an area that has ignited research and several initiatives across the globe in recent years. The challenge in extending basic banking services and credit to BOP members is one that is spurring innovation amongst bankers and financial institutions alike. Over the next couple of months, I would be touching upon some work & initiatives being undertaken in this space.

The BOP as a concept gained much visibility with CK Prahlad's book on the same subject. The Base of the Pyramid (BoP) Protocol Initiative is an action research program launched in 2003 to develop and refine a corporate innovation process geared for the unique challenge of sustainably serving Base of the Pyramid markets.

The initial framework for the BoP Protocol process was developed in 2004 through an intensive four-day design workshop at the Johnson Foundation's Wingspread Conference Center. The workshop brought together a diverse mix of social entrepreneurs and non-governmental organizations, a dozen managers from the project's four corporate sponsors, and thought leaders from various academic fields such as International Development, Social Work, Economic Anthropology, and Design.

Working from this framework, the 1st Edition of the BoP Protocol was released in March 2005. Since then, CSGE has partnered with two corporations to implement the BoP Protocol. The first project was launched in 2005 by SC Johnson in Kenya, and the second was launched in 2006 in India by the Solae Company, a subsidiary of DuPont.

To read / downlad the second edition published recently, click here