A significant majority (57%) of India's investment advisors are concentrated in just five metro cities, leading to concerns about financial inclusion and the spread of financial market products beyond urban centres, according to a Business Standard analysis of Sebi data.
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Wednesday exhorted the fledgling fintech ecosystem to focus on the underserved sections of the society to deepen financial inclusion. Speaking at the annual Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, Malhotra accepted that serving the "privileged" will be a lucrative business, but urged the smaller companies to focus on the underserved.
NPCI BHIM Services Ltd is expanding the BHIM app to feature phones to increase financial inclusion and diversify revenue through financial product distribution. The app aims to double its market share and is focusing on partnerships with banks and new features like UPI Circle.
Enterprising women business correspondents, known as BC Sakhis, have facilitated transactions worth Rs 27,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh, earning Rs 75 crore in commission over the past four and a half years. BC Sakhis, appointed under the nationwide women empowerment programme, are members of self-help groups (SHGs) who are trained and certified to provide banking and financial services in rural areas.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said financial inclusion will continue to be a "policy priority" for the central bank to make the post-pandemic recovery more equitable and sustainable. The Reserve Bank of India will very soon be coming out with the first financial inclusion index, which will assess progress in terms of access, usage and quality, Das said, while speaking at the Economic Times Financial Inclusion Summit. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that the financial ecosystem (including the digital medium) is inclusive and capable of effectively addressing risks like mis-selling, cybersecurity, data privacy and promoting trust in the financial system through appropriate financial education and awareness, he added.
Jio Financial Services and Munich-based Allianz Group have signed a binding agreement to establish a 50:50 joint venture for general and health insurance in India, building on an earlier reinsurance partnership.
Jio Payments Bank introduces UPI-based cash withdrawals at business correspondent touchpoints, enhancing financial inclusion and simplifying access to cash for rural and semi-urban customers.
Bank of Baroda has partnered with Reliance Jio to provide access to its mobile banking application, 'bob World Lite', for users of Jio feature phones, aiming to promote financial inclusion and digital payments.
The essence of financial inclusion is to ensure that a range of appropriate financial services is available to every individual and enable them to understand and access those services.
Days after the PM announced a financial inclusion package, a look at how banks and insurance firms are going about it and what lies ahead.
Airpay Payment Services has partnered with Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank (MSCB) to enable UPI-based digital payments across the lender's network in Maharashtra, aiming to accelerate financial inclusion in rural areas.
Markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday proposed introducing gift cards or gift prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) for investments in mutual funds to improve financial inclusion through onboarding of new investors in the space.
Business systems that serve customers who are starkly above or below the average customer on any parameter need to be differently designed. Forcing one-size-fits-all products is not a good solution, says Rama Bijapurkar.
Financial inclusion has been on the top of the govt's top agenda.
Public-sector banks (PSBs) in India have reported an 11.2 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit, reaching a record 1.98 trillion in FY26, marking their fourth consecutive year of profitability, driven by sustained business growth, improved asset quality, and strong capital positions.
Trai chairman Rajiv Khullar says, India has to pull up its stocks in order to achieve financial inclusion.
Credit card adoption is rapidly expanding beyond India's major metropolitan areas into Tier-II and Tier-III cities, driven by increasing incomes, digital awareness, and the integration of RuPay credit cards with UPI, according to a new report by SBI Card.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has reached a record Rs 314 lakh crore in transaction value in FY26, representing more than a 4,000-fold increase since inception.
Several Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have hinted at uncertainty regarding their participation in the 2026-27 season due to ongoing issues surrounding the domestic top-tier competition. The clubs are reviewing their commitment beyond the current season amid disagreements with the AIFF over commercial partnerships and league structure.
Sources said bank chiefs would discuss the challenges of taking the UID project ahead by accessing the data available with the branch network (for corroborate identity). Bank branches have extensive nationwide data about their customers. Unique identity envisages authentication -- "Are you who you claim to be?
India's gross savings rate is projected to be nearly 47 basis points higher in FY25 than previously estimated, following the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi) revision of the methodology for calculating household savings routed through the securities market.
Yuki Bhambri and Sumit Nagal receive financial assistance to prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and Davis Cup, while Dhakshineswar Suresh joins the Target Asian Games Group.
USAID looks forward to working with each to make financial inclusion a long-lasting and sustainable reality in India.
The efforts will also be made to introduce mobile banking on all kinds of phones, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after meeting the heads of PSU banks here on Thursday.
A top official of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said banks are in a better position as compared with other entities to lead the financial inclusion goal in India, though mobile companies have been allowed to partner them.
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Usage of mobile technology in financial service will help the financial inclusion initiative and enhance delivery systems, said the D&B report on the BFSI sector.
At a time when the Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) have drawn flak due to steep interest rates charged by them, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty has categorically stated that such institutions cannot play any role in financial inclusion.
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to discontinue assistance-oriented schemes based on religious categorisation for Imams, muezzins and purohits from June. The cabinet also approved the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly support to women from June 1, and granted in-principle consent for their free travel in state-run buses.
The Financial Inclusion Advisory Committee under RBI Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty is expected to suggest appropriate regulatory framework to ensure that financial inclusion and financial stability move in tandem, the RBI said in a statement.
The government has decided to chalk out a two-year programme to push financial inclusion initiatives by banks to bring it in line with the unique identity plan for the country.
The Ad-Hoc Committee appointed to run the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) has informed the Delhi High Court that governance reforms and elections may take longer than initially planned. The committee cited statutory requirements under the new sports law and delays in gaining full control of the federation as reasons for the extended timeline.
PM has asked the Reserve Bank to prepare a 20-year road map for financial inclusion
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has submitted a comprehensive set of recommendations to various central ministries, outlining a survivor-centric framework to enhance care, justice, and rehabilitation for acid-attack victims.
South leads; North-East at bottom but moves ahead, finds out the IndiaSpend Team
ICICI Bank has 317 branches in hitherto unbanked villages.
Within two weeks of the speech, the prime minister flagged off the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, and the day was marked by announcing its outcome on the very first day of its implementation.
Messaging platform WhatsApp on Wednesday said it has rolled out a pilot program across 500 villages across Karnataka and Maharashtra, aimed at empowering villagers with access to digital payments through 'payments on WhatsApp'. The announcement was made at Fuel For India 2021 - Meta's annual event in India. WhatsApp India Head Abhijit Bose said the pilot aims to effect a behavioral transformation to digital payments at the grassroots.
Kerala's Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan visited senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, emphasising their close relationship and seeking blessings for his new role.
The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday allowed for-profit companies with large and widespread retail outlets to act as business correspondents. The move will both deepen and broaden financial inclusion. Non-banking finance companies, however, have been excluded from the list.
There were concerns that simply opening a bank account wouldn't constitute meaningful financial inclusion, as the poor would rarely use these accounts. However, recent data submitted to Parliament attests to increased account usage, says Ishan Bakshi.
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