This project draws together a multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder research team with expertise in health sciences, Sanitary engineering and technology, economics and Microfinance. This research team shall identify optimal techno-economic-financial combinations through an evaluation of investment in sanitation coverage in selected Indian states.

While the academic validation will be done by the UNU- MERIT research conglomeration, the implementation will be done by an intertwined public private partnership initiative. These are Micro insurance company TATA-AIG, Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) such as BISWA in India, WASTE a Dutch NGO with Sanitation expertise and banks such as SNS Reaal.

TATA-AIG works through several micro-finance institutions (MFIs) in India, such as BISWA (another project partner) to market their products using their existing channels and their self-help groups. Micro-finance institutions are - through this collaboration - in a position to offer a wider range of financial services to their clientele, thus acting as extension arms of this project.

WASTE together with TATA –AIG has identified a joint approach to improve sanitation using the health insurance products that TATA-AIG is developing based on their customer demand. Health insurance premiums will differ according to the sanitation situation of the target group, whereby better sanitation can be translated into lower premiums. SNS-REAAL (another project partner) through its commercial funding will support the initiative and provide financial engineering advisory services in blending commercial and grant funding.

The research team shall evaluate the Micro finance and Micro Insurance scheme through Academic micro based evidence research and Impact assessment.

The project has tremendous relevance for development such as health promotion amongst the poor, sanitation health interaction improvement and financial inclusion in sanitation improvement