Creating Markets With The Poor: Selling treadle pumps In India

With public sector funding stalled in many developing countries, local private investment is expected to generate the finances to develop essential services such as water supply and irrigation: the ‘market creation approach’. This paper reviews one attempt at market creation; selling treadle pumps in North Bengal, India. Although the study found that there is sometimes a mistaken belief that the public and private sector are two separate entities, they conclude that if channelled well public subsidies and local procurement by public bodies may help strengthen the local private sector and increase its capacity to deliver useful services and mobilise local investments.