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.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, visited Mumbai to understand India's digital public infrastructure, including UPI and AI, in improving financial health for salaried individuals. She interacted with healthcare professionals and SalarySe leaders, praising India's advancements in financial inclusion and technology's role in empowering individuals.
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.
India and Nepal have launched a peer-to-peer (P2P) cross-border remittance mechanism, linking India's UPI with Nepal's NPI. This system allows real-time money transfers via mobile banking, enhancing convenience for travellers and businesses, fostering financial inclusion, and strengthening economic ties between the two nations.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed allowing celebrity endorsements for its regulated entities like AMCs and stock brokers, but only at the brand level, not for specific products or services, as part of a major overhaul of advertisement codes.
State Bank of India Chairman C S Setty has expressed support for a 'pause' in policy rates by the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee, believing it will help stabilise conditions and support economic growth. He also urged investors to look beyond short-term equity market movements and focus on India's structural transformation, driven by reforms and digital infrastructure.
India was on Friday accorded the vice presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body that sets standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, for the first time.
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.
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.
Kumar Mangalam Birla urged young people to 'build in India, build for India and build for the world'.
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.
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.
Trai chairman Rajiv Khullar says, India has to pull up its stocks in order to achieve financial inclusion.
Modi's comments on underlining the importance of ensuring the safety of seafarers came against the backdrop of growing anger in India over the killing of the three Indian crew members in a US military attack on a merchant ship off the coast of Oman last week.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Loss-making Air India has introduced a new 'Basic Fare' category for select domestic flights, which does not include complimentary meals, as part of its efforts to trim expenses amid rising operational costs.
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.
PM has asked the Reserve Bank to prepare a 20-year road map for financial inclusion
India's Central government is likely to see its fertiliser subsidy bill double to a record 3.4 trillion in FY27, up from the Budget estimate of 1.7 trillion, due to surging global fertiliser prices exacerbated by the West Asia war. This significant increase, coupled with revenue losses from excise duty cuts for oil-marketing companies, is straining the government's fiscal space, though capital expenditure plans remain unchanged.
The Indian government is set to accelerate reforms, including measures to enhance foreign direct investment, speed up divestment, and boost asset monetisation, to maintain economic growth despite rising fuel and fertiliser import costs driven by the West Asia crisis.
South leads; North-East at bottom but moves ahead, finds out the IndiaSpend Team
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.
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.
India's electric vehicle market is experiencing an unprecedented boom with a 37 per cent increase in new entrants, driven by supportive policies and infrastructure.
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.
