Powering Change: Ajaita Shah of Frontier Markets

70% of women in rural India still have no access to capital or financial institutions. According to some estimates, this lack of access causes rural Indian women to only contribute 2% of India’s GDP.

Learn about how one company is tackling this issue in this week's episode, featuring Ajaita Shah, the founder and CEO of Frontier Markets. She has over 15 years of experience working on business in rural India. Her company, Frontier Markets, has built a scalable distribution model that works with 3,000 female entrepreneurs that are helping 700,000 households in India's last-mile get access to safe, affordable clean energy products and other household goods. Ajaita is working to create a sustainable supply channel for a wide range of products for low-income households in rural India. Beyond Capital Fund is proud to have invested in Frontier Markets in 2013!

"Frontier Markets' first level of impact comes from the core belief that the rural household deserves to be treated with dignity," says Ajaita. "But as a founder, it took me 15 years, frankly, to have a clear understanding and a blended vision that doesn't force me to pick between profit and impact."