Caspian Debt chosen as 2X Flagship Fund committed to investing with gender lens

livemint.com:

start-ups, has been awarded the 2X Flagship Fund status by the 2X Flagship Fund Committee. Caspian Debt’s candidature was proposed by its existing investors Nederlandse Financieringsmaatschappij Voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO) and United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), based on its three-year track record of exceeding the investment commitments to 2X qualified companies, as well as on the gender diversity of its team.

As a 2X Flagship Fund, Caspian Debt has entered a Memorandum of Understanding with FMO and DFC to accelerate its efforts in reducing gender finance gap. The partners will collectively encourage gender-smart investing, underscoring their commitment to advancing gender balance and inclusivity within the financial sector. Caspian Debt has been selected as a 2X Flagship Fund considering its track record in furthering the cause of women’s economic empowerment through gender lens financing and by enabling gender balance in the team.

The 2X Flagship Fund status recognises Caspian Debt’s efforts to demonstrate the commercial and social benefits of valuing women as entrepreneurs, employees, or clients. In FY-23, Caspian Debt fulfilled the requirements of the 2X fund status by surpassing the indirect criteria requirement by 170%, with over 50% of our companies meeting the 2X criteria. This commitment is further reflected in the company’s workforce, where women make up 40% of the total employees and hold 50% of the senior management positions.

In a conscious endeavour to foster equity, the company actively participates in a range of training programs, including those centred around gender-smart investing and addressing unconscious bias. Mr. Avishek Gupta, Managing Director and Chief