Financial Inclusion

RBI's Financial Inclusion index rises 4.48% in FY26, sees uniform growth

Reserve Bank's FI-Index, which captures the extent of financial inclusion in the country, rose 4.48 per cent during the year ending March 2026, the central bank said on Thursday. The Reserve Bank of India had constructed a composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index) in consultation with concerned stakeholders, including the government. The annual index was first published in August 2021 for the fiscal year ending March 2021. "Index for the year ending March 2026 has since been compiled. The value of FI-Index for March 2026 stands at 70.0 vis-a-vis 67.0 in March 2025, with growth witnessed across all sub-indices," the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said. The improvement in the FI-Index this year is mainly on account of an uptick in usage, reflecting the deepening of financial inclusion, it added. The FI-Index has been conceptualised as a comprehensive index incorporating details of banking, investments, insurance, postal, as well as the pension sector, in consultation with the ...

The poor's savings: The next frontier for NPCI and RBI Innovation Hub

For savings, the risk of default or malfeasance is borne by the vulnerable customer and, therefore, the regulator is cautious in allowing any latitude in experiments with savings products

India should shift financial inclusion focus to financial health: PwC-Dvara

India should shift its financial inclusion agenda from expanding access to improving household financial health, as wider account ownership alone has not improved resilience, says a report

For sophisticated financial inclusion: Looking beyond distribution, access

The rising proportion of citizens interacting across the financial landscape also bears witness to growing financial inclusion

RBI revamps Lead Bank Scheme, strengthens district credit planning

The revised framework formalises block-level credit planning, strengthens Lead District Manager offices and sharpens accountability across banking committees

BCRC seeks grandfathering as RBI's BC recertification rule nears rollout

BCRC says forcing already certified business correspondents to take advanced IIBF certification may trigger exits as RBI's new rule takes effect on July 1, 2026

Any Time Money: Why ATMs continue to matter in India's digital age

Despite UPI's rise, growing cash circulation and evolving consumer habits ensure ATMs remain integral to India's payment ecosystem

PM SVANidhi brings dignity, credit access to street vendors: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the PM SVANidhi scheme supporting street vendors has transformed the lives of countless hawkers by ensuring access to collateral-free credit, financial inclusion and new opportunities for growth. On the completion of six years of the scheme, he also said that PM SVANidhi is all about trust, dignity and empowerment. "Today we mark #6YearsofPMSVANidhi, a scheme which has transformed the lives of countless street vendors by ensuring access to collateral-free credit, financial inclusion and new opportunities for growth. This scheme is all about trust, dignity and empowerment. My best wishes to all beneficiaries whose determination and enterprise continue to strengthen our nation's economy," Modi said in a post on X. The Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) is a central sector scheme supporting street vendors through affordable working capital, financial inclusion and social protection measures. The PM SVANidhi was ..

SVAMITVA boosts rural credit access, loan amounts rise 23%: EAC-PM

SVAMITVA scheme is boosting rural credit access, with property cards enabling households to use land as collateral and increasing sanctioned loan amounts by 23%

Financial inclusion: From presence to participation

Inclusion succeeds when financial services are used regularly with confidence

EAC-PM Chairman underlines 3 development goals for vision 2047

Professor S Mahendra Dev, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)

Govt weighs AI-based credit scores to expand access to formal finance

The Centre is exploring AI-based credit scoring and UPI-linked credit lines to widen access to formal finance for women, first-time borrowers and vulnerable communities

Financial inclusion index should disclose all parameters: Sumita Kale

RBI's Financial Inclusion Index needs greater transparency, granular data and a shift towards usage, quality and household financial well-being, says Indicus Foundation CEO Sumita Kale in an interview

Financial inclusion drive opens 6.1 million Jan Dhan accounts in 2.5 months

The Finance Ministry said its three-month financial inclusion drive has opened 6.1 million Jan Dhan accounts, 26 million social security enrolments and updated crores of inactive accounts

PMJDY turns 11 with 560 million accounts, ₹2.68 trillion deposits

PM Modi on Thursday said in his post on "X": "When the last mile is financially connected, the entire nation moves forward together

The first decade of PMJDY: A catalyst for financial inclusion in India

The number of accounts alone doesn't tell the real story: 66.75% are in rural and semi-urban India, and 55.70% belong to women

RBI's financial inclusion index hits 67 in March 2025, reflecting growth

Growth was witnessed across all sub-indices-access, usage, and quality-indicating continued progress in financial inclusion in India

140,000 Jan Dhan accounts opened in two weeks under PMJDY drive: FinMin

About 1.4 lakh new Jan Dhan accounts have been opened in the past fortnight under the nationwide financial inclusion saturation campaign, the finance ministry said on Tuesday. The Department of Financial Services (DFS), under the finance ministry, has launched a three-month nationwide saturation campaign, effective from July 1 to September 30, 2025, to bolster the outreach of flagship schemes, such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY), an official statement said. This campaign seeks to achieve comprehensive coverage across all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), ensuring that every eligible citizen gets the intended benefits of these transformative schemes. Nearly 1.4 lakh new Jan Dhan accounts have been opened and more than 5.4 lakh new enrolments have been recorded under three Jan Suraksha Schemes in the past fortnight, the statement

Watershed moments: How technology bolstered the financial inclusion

Govt started groundwork 50 yrs ago, but adoption and advancement of tech have sped up growth of financial services

Microfinance in vicious cycle of debt, high rates, warns RBI deputy guv

RBI Deputy Governor M Rajeshwar Rao warns of high interest rates, borrower over-indebtedness, and coercive recovery in India's microfinance sector, calls for urgent lender reforms