Current Projects

What we're working on right now

Six months in, one pilot complete and one research study underway.

Hand block-printed textiles drying in a courtyard
Aug 2026 – Apr 2027 · Ongoing Research · Phase 1: Set-up

Understanding financial inclusion among Indian artisans

India is home to roughly seven million artisans, many working as micro and nano-entrepreneurs with seasonal, irregular incomes — yet they remain one of the most financially under-researched populations in the country. Illunet is running a qualitative research study to understand how artisans across four states access, use, and experience formal and informal financial systems, and to surface the barriers and enablers that shape their financial lives.

35–40
Artisans interviewed
4
States covered
50%+
Women participants (target)
9
Months, Aug '26 – Apr '27

What the research covers

  • How artisans access credit, savings, insurance, and digital financial tools
  • Barriers: inconsistent documentation, seasonal cash flow, distance from institutions, distrust built over years of exclusion
  • Coping mechanisms and existing financial behaviours

Our approach

  • In-depth, trust-first qualitative interviews with local partners supporting access
  • Structured using the Access–Usage–Quality framework and the Financial Health framework's four pillars
  • Inductive, grounded-theory analysis so themes emerge from artisans' own accounts

The goal: translate lived experience into concrete, actionable recommendations that funders, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners can use to design products and interventions that actually fit artisan realities.

Findings and recommendations will be published here on completion, expected April 2027.
Illunet facilitators leading a financial literacy session with Nia members
Jun – Aug 2026 · Completed Pilot · With Nia, an Elevar Equity portfolio company

Financial literacy & capacity building for gig and contract workers

Nia works with migrant gig and contract workers, helping them relocate for work without losing the value they've built each time they move. They approached Illunet to bring our entrepreneurial capacity-building and financial literacy program to their members — teaching people how to compound the value of their income through effective savings, sound financial habits, the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, and everyday digital literacy.

38
Participants trained
4
Batches delivered
19–25
Age range
6
States represented
Participants seated in a group during a training session

What the program covered

  • Financial literacy — UPI & mobile banking, income tax filing, budgeting, saving vs. borrowing
  • Entrepreneurial mindsets — identifying opportunities, revenue vs. profit, formal vs. informal loans
  • AI fundamentals — what AI is, everyday use cases, the basics of prompting

How it was delivered

  • One in-person session per batch, at Nia's Studio in Hosur
  • Self-learning modules and videos shared via WhatsApp
  • Sessions run in both Hindi and English
  • Program redesigned mid-pilot to adapt to high resident turnover

Participants came from

Bihar Jharkhand Orissa Karnataka Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu

Every participant left with a foundational understanding of financial literacy — from staying safe from scams to filing income tax returns. The pilot also surfaced a strong, largely unmet appetite for knowledge on savings and investing, which is now shaping our next iteration of the program.

Download full report (PDF)