Staff Directory

Swati Sawhney

Senior Financial Sector Specialist

Swati Sawhney has been with CGAP since 2021, based in London. She is currently engaged with CGAP’s work on micro and small enterprise (MSE) finance in the digital age. Swati has worked extensively in the field of access to finance, with global experience across the US, UK, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. She was a senior financial sector specialist with the IFC / WBG Finance and Markets Global Practice in South Asia, where she was responsible for leading the development of enabling Financial Infrastructure programs for the South Asia region and MSME financial inclusion work in India. Prior to her work with the IFC, she was a Manager with Ernst & Young’s Business Advisory Services in the UK, where she worked with several private and public sector clients on large change management programs. She has also worked for several years on MSME finance for DAI Europe, with a focus on EBRD programs across Eastern Europe. Prior to that she has experience at Citigroup in the UK, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Swati holds a Masters in International Strategy and Diplomacy from the London School of Economics, and an earlier Masters in International and Development Economics from Yale University.

By Swati Sawhney

Research

Inclusive Fintech: How Startups are Bridging the Finance Gap for Microenterprises

Inclusive fintech startups are leveraging innovative credit products to support microenterprises in emerging markets. These startups use data, channel partnerships, and tailored pricing to make financial services more accessible and suitable for microenterprises. This focus note features a range of case studies based on CGAP's research and highlights the potential and actual impacts of microenterprise fintech models.
Research

Empowering Small Giants: Inclusive Embedded Finance for Micro-retailers

Financial inclusion is becoming more feasible for many excluded and underserved micro-retailers, thanks to the emergence of new B2B e-commerce companies that are digitizing the final stage of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) supply chain. This report outlines various business models that incorporate last-mile retailers into digital ordering platforms, offering them convenience, transparency, and a wide range of products.
Research

The Promise of Fintech for Micro and Small Enterprises

Nearly 500 million micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are estimated to be operating around the world. Access to credit and other financial services is critical to the growth and sustainability of these businesses, and consequentially to the low-income and vulnerable populations which rely on MSEs for their livelihoods. Yet despite decades of efforts and some notable successes in expanding MSE finance, the credit gap remains an estimated 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars.
Research

No Small Business: A Segmented Approach to Better Finance for Micro and Small Enterprises

This paper is based on primary research conducted with 383 micro and small enterrpises (MSEs) in India, Kenya, and Peru – three diverse emerging markets with a vibrant MSE finance ecosystem that includes strong incumbent providers like microfinance institutions, cooperatives, and banks, as well as innovative new providers like fintechs.