Digital Banking Units to boost financial inclusion: All you need to know

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan will get four DBUs each, followed by Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sikkim and Telangana, with three DBUs each

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) on Sunday to boost financial inclusion in India. Modi said it would "simplify the banking procedure" and provide a "robust and secure" banking system.

In Union Budget 2022, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 75 DBUs would be set up to ensure that the benefits of digital banking reach every corner of the country.

What are DBUs?

According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), DBU is "a specialised fixed point business unit/hub housing certain minimum digital infrastructure for delivering digital banking products and services as well as servicing existing financial products & services digitally, in both self-service and assisted mode."

RBI further added that it will "enable customers to have cost-effective/convenient access and enhanced digital experience to/of such products and services in an efficient, paperless, secured and connected environment with most services being available in self-service mode at any time, all year round."

These units will provide several digital banking services to the account holders.

"The DBUs will augment our efforts to promote financial inclusion by providing banking services in a paperless, efficient, safe and secure environment," RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said.

"As the purpose of DBUs is to optimally blend digital infrastructure with 'human touch', remote or in situ assisted mode arrangements in right proportion should be planned and put in place by the banks," RBI's guidelines on DBU added.

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan will get four DBUs each. They will be followed by Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sikkim and Telangana, with three DBUs each.

At 12, the State Bank of India (SBI) opened maximum DBUs. The Bank of Baroda follows it with eight DBUs and six units by Union Bank of India.

Apart from the public sector banks, two private lenders, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank, have also announced setting up the DBUs.

With banking services, the DBUs will also provide hands-on education on safe digital banking products and practices to the customers.

DBUs will also offer grievance redressal services to the customer.

"There should be an adequate digital mechanism to offer real-time assistance and redress customer grievances arising from business and services offered by the DBUs directly or through Business Facilitators/Correspondents," the RBI's guidelines added.