The IDB report highlights business opportunities at the base of the pyramid in Latin America and the Caribbean.

More than 400 million people make up a market of great opportunities

The market for base of the pyramid is US $759,000 million and there are very promising opportunities for private sector businesses, according to a report by the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) released today.

The report presents information on the market size of the base of the pyramid (BOP), socioeconomic characteristics, segmentation, spending patterns and factors related to demand. It also includes statistics on consumer preferences in this segment.

Drawing on national household income and household spending, the report estimates that the market for people who live on less than US $10 a day grew 22 percent in a decade, going from US $623,000 million a year in 2000 to US $759,000 million in 2010.

Today, two out of three Latin Americans make up this growing market - about 405 million people.

See full report (in spanish).

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Indian Investments in Panama

November 2017

Indian businessmen visualize Panama as a potential distribution center for products and services for companies in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical and services industries.

Indian businessmen visiting Panama as part of a trade mission met with their Panamanian counterparts to identify business opportunities in industries related to manufacturing, pharmaceutical, ceramics, transportation, energy, textile and chemical mineral products. 

Panama: 55 MW Generator For Sale

August 2015

The conglomerate Interenergy has acquired a 55% stake in Pedregal, a plant in Pacora, Panama Province, which generates energy from diesel.

From the press release by Interenergy:

New York, August, 2015] –Conduit Capital Partners (“Conduit”) and InterEnergy Holdings (“InterEnergy”) announced today that InterEnergy Holdings has purchased interests in two companies owned by Latin Power III, a $392 million private equity fund managed by Conduit. InterEnergy purchased Latin Power III’s 55% ownership in Pedregal, a 55MW diesel plant based in Pacora, Panama. InterEnergy also purchased Latin Power III’s 100% interest in Jamaica Energy Partners and West Kingston Power Partners, which are based in Kingston, Jamaica and collectively operate three plants with 190 MW of diesel capacity which supply 30% of the electricity on the island of Jamaica. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Central America's Housing Shortage

May 2012

According to the IDB, the percentage of the population living in substandard homes or those who do not have adequate housing, reaches 78% in Nicaragua, 67% in Guatemala, 58% in El Salvador, 57% in Honduras, 39% in Panama and 18% in Costa Rica.

An IDB study indicates that over two thirds of households in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru live in poor housing.

The Hispanic Market in the U.S.

April 2012

The Hispanic population exceeds 50 million and has a purchasing power of more than a trillion dollars.

The U.S. Hispanic population, a community of nearly 50 million people, is a real market potential that many U.S. companies (nor Central American companies) cannot ignore despite its preference for emerging markets.