Deepali Pant Joshi: Financial inclusion - journey so far and road ahead
Speech by Dr Deepali Pant Joshi, Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India, at the
Mint Conclave on "Financial inclusion", Mumbai, 28 November 2013.
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Assistance provided by Shri Ajay Kumar Misra, GM, Smt. Sushma Vij, DGM, and Smt. Mruga M Paranjape,
Manager is gratefully acknowledged.
1. Mr Tamal Bandopadhyay Deputy Managing Director, Mr Sukumar, Editor Mint,
distinguished guests ladies and gentlemen at the very outset let me say that I am extremely
happy to be here with you this beautiful evening and thank the Editor Mint for having me
here, to share with you the RBI perspectives on the Financial Inclusion. I extend warm
congratulations to Mint on celebrating a decade of engagement with these issues which
concern us all.
2. Dr. Raghuram Rajan, has powerfully enunciated that there is a need for broad
based diversified growth lading to rapid reduction in poverty. Reserve Bank plans its
developmental initiatives over the next few quarters on five pillars, one important pillar is of
Financial Inclusion i.e. "Expanding access to finance to small and medium enterprises, the
unorganized sector, the poor, and remote and underserved areas of the country through
technology, new business practices, and new organizational structures; that is, we need
financial inclusion."
3. The expectations of poor people from the financial system are principally ease of
access, security and safety of deposits, low transaction costs, convenient operating time,
minimum paper work, ability to transact easily effect frequent deposits, avail quick and easy
access to credit and other products including remittances suitable to their income streams
and consumption patterns. The provision of uncomplicated, small, affordable products can
help bring low income families into the formal financial sector. Low-income households in the
informal or subsistence economy often have to borrow from friends, family or usurious
moneylenders. They have little awareness and practically no access to financial services that
could protect their financial resources in exigent circumstances such as illness, property
damage or death of the primary breadwinner .Taking into account their seasonal inflow of
income from agricultural operations, migration from one place to another seasonal and
irregular work availability and income, the existing financial system needs to be designed to
suit their requirements and to be more responsive to their needs. The mainstream financial
institutions like banks have an important role to play in this effort not as a social obligation
but as a pure business proposition. The push for financial Inclusion has come from the
financial regulator/Government at the level of macro policy the Banks have to translate this to
concrete outcomes at ground level to spur financial deepening.
4. Having said this let me now walk you through financial inclusion journey so far and
the way forward. "Financial Inclusion" was formally articulated by Dr YV Reddy the then
Governor RBI in the annual Policy Statement of 2005-06, Governor while recognizing the
concerns in regard to the banking practices that tend to exclude rather than attract vast
sections of population, urged banks to review their existing practices to align them with the
objective of financial inclusion. The main features of the approach involve "connecting"
people with the banking system and not just credit. Financial exclusion is mainly in two ways
one is exclusion from the payments system i.e. not having access to a bank account and the
second type of exclusion is from formal credit markets requiring the excluded to approach
informal and exploitive markets. Taking a cue from the Rangarajan Committee which first
studied the issue of Financial Inclusion in depth we have defined Financial Inclusion as the
process of ensuring access to financial services and timely and adequate credit where
needed by vulnerable groups such as weaker sections at an affordable cost from Mainstream
Financial Institution,. As Dr Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor RBI explains only the mainstream
financial institutions have the capacity to provide full services and meet the SCRIPT by
extend in the complete breadth of services Savings, Credit, Remittance, Insurance, Pension,
Payments transactions. Mainstream Institution i.e. banks must fulfill their core function of
intermediating and transferring resources from surplus to deficit units but both deficit and
surplus units are those with low incomes consequently the RBI moved swiftly to enforce
multiple policy level changes ranging from provision of new products, relaxation of regulatory
guidelines and other supportive measures to achieve sustainable and scalable financial
inclusion, to ensure that customers who are linked to the banking system is provided with all
the basic financial products that are required to enhance their income generation capacity
thus helping them to work their own out of poverty.
Milestones of our journey so far
In November 2005, a new concept of basic
I. Opening of No-Frills accounts:
banking "no-frills" account with "nil" or very low minimum balance was introduced to make
such accounts accessible to vast sections of the population. In 2012 the nomenclature was
changed to Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDAs) for all individuals with zero
minimum balance and facility of ATM card/ Debit card, there is no charge on deposits and up
to four withdrawals in a month are allowed. To summarize, every person has the right to
open a basic account Banks have been advised to provide small overdrafts in such accounts
to meet their emergency credit requirement in hassle free manner.
II. Engaging Business Correspondents: In January 2006, the Reserve Bank
permitted banks to engage Business Facilitators (BFs) and Business Correspondents (BCs)
as intermediaries for providing financial and banking services. The BC Model allows banks to
provide door step delivery of services especially to do "cash in - cash out" transactions, thus
addressing the "last mile" problem. The list of eligible individuals/entities who can be
engaged as BCs is being widened from time to time we have adopted a test and learn
approach to this process. In September 2010, RBI has allowed for profit organisations
excluding NBFCs to operate as BCs. Banks can now leverage on the penetrative network of
mobile companies. Mobile network companies have joined hands with banks to make
available banking services to India's unbanked population. The agents of mobile companies
work as Customer Service Providers (CSPs) and provide BC services, thus expanding the
outreach of banks.
Recognising that technology has the potential to address the
III. Use of Technology -
issues of outreach and credit delivery in rural and remote areas, in a viable manner,
commercial banks were advised to implement CBS so as to enable them to make effective
use of ICT, to provide door step banking services through Business Correspondents Model
wherein the accounts can be operated by even illiterate customers by using biometrics, thus,
ensuring the security of transactions and enhancing the confidence in the banking system.
RRBs, having proximity to rural area, have the inherent strength to scale financial inclusion,
have also been roped in by bringing them to CBS platform. A robust payment system is an
essential adjunct of Financial Inclusion this is an extremely important area.
IV. Relaxation on KYC norms: One of the major constraints faced by the common
people all along in getting linked to the formal banking system were the strict KYC norms
prescribed all these years. Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for opening bank
accounts were relaxed for small accounts in August 2005, thereby simplifying procedure. To
facilitate easy opening of accounts especially for small customers, Know Your Customer
(KYC) guidelines have been simplified to such an extent that small accounts can be opened
without any documentation by just giving a self certification in the presence of bank officials.
Further, in order to leverage upon the initiative of UIDAI, RBI has allowed "Aadhaar", the
unique identification number being issued to all citizens of India, to be used as one of the
eligible document for meeting the KYC requirement for opening a bank account. Recently in
Sept 2013, RBI has allowed banks to provide e-KYC services based on Aadhaar, thus
paving the way for account opening of all the people.
To address the issue of uneven spread of bank
V. Simplified branch authorisation:
branches, in December 2009, domestic scheduled commercial banks were permitted to
freely open branches in Tier 3 to Tier 6 centres with population of less than 50,000 under
general permission, subject to reporting. .In the second quarter review of Monetary policy
Branch authorisation has been relaxed to the extent that banks do not require prior
permission to open branches even in tier I centres, subject to reporting.
VI. Opening of branches in unbanked rural centres: To further step up the opening
of branches in rural areas, banks have been mandated to open at least 25 per cent of the
branches in unbanked rural centres. To help facilitate in achieving this mandate, banks have
been advised to open to open small intermediary brick and mortar structures between the
base branch and the unbanked villages. The idea is to create an eco-system for ensuring
efficient delivery of services, efficiency in cash management, redressal of customer
grievances and closer supervision of BC operations. To further encourage the banks in
pursuing this mandate, banks have been advised to consider frontloading (prioritizing) the
opening of branches in unbanked rural centres over a three year cycle co-terminus with their
FIPs. This is expected to facilitate quicker branch expansion in unbanked rural centres.
VII. Roadmap for providing Banking Services in unbanked villages with
With financial inclusion gaining increasing recognition as a
population more than 2000:
business opportunity and with all banks geared to increase presence, we adopted a
phasewise approach to provide banking services in all unbanked villages in the country. On
completion of the first phase where nearly 74000 villages with population more than
2000 were provided with a banking outlet, we are now in the second phase where the
remaining unbanked villages, numbering close to 4,90,000, are identified in villages less than
2000 population and allocated to banks, for opening of banking outlets by Match 2016.
VIII. Direct Benefit Transfer - The introduction of direct benefit transfer validating
identity through Aadhaar will facilitate delivery of social welfare benefits by direct credit to the
bank accounts of beneficiaries. Government proposes to route all social security payments
through the banking network using the Aadhaar based platform. In order to ensure smooth
roll out of the Government's Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiative, banks have been
advised to open accounts of all eligible individuals in camp mode with the support of local
Government authorities, seed the existing and new accounts with Aadhaar numbers and put
in place an effective mechanism to monitor and review the progress in implementation of
DBT.
IX. Financial Literacy - Financial Literacy is an important adjunct for promoting
financial inclusion, we have adopted an integrated approach, wherein our efforts towards
Financial Inclusion and Financial Literacy go hand in hand. Through Financial literacy and
education, we disseminate information on the general banking concepts to diverse target
groups, including school and college students, women, rural and urban poor, pensioners and
senior citizens to enable them to make informed financial decisions. To ensure that the
initiatives on the supply side are supported by initiatives on the demand side, we have nearly
800 financial literacy centres set up by banks. In addition to this we are leveraging the
infrastructure created at the state level, comprising of State Level Bankers Committee
(SLBC) at the Apex which is ably supported by the Lead District Managers (LDMs) at the
District level. We have designed a mass scale Financial Literacy Program with an objective
to integrate the financially excluded population having low level of income and low literacy
level with the formal financial system. Financial Literacy Centres organize Outdoor Literacy
camps which are spread over a period of three months and delivered in three phases
wherein along with creating awareness, accounts are also opened in the Literacy camps The
program has been received well on the ground as an integrated approach of financial
inclusion through creating awareness and providing access simultaneously.
X. Financial Inclusion Plan of banks - We have encouraged banks to adopt a
structured and planned approach to financial inclusion with commitment at the highest levels,
through preparation of Board approved Financial Inclusion Plans (FIPs). The first phase of
FIPs was implemented over the period 2010-2013. The Reserve Bank has used the FIPs to
gauge the performance of banks under their FI initiatives. In this direction we have put in
place a structured and comprehensive monitoring mechanism for evaluating banks'
performance vis-à-vis their targets. To ensure support of the Top Management of the Bank to
the FI process and to ensure accountability of the senior functionaries of the bank, one on
one annual review meetings, chaired by the Deputy Governor, are held with CMDs/CEOs of
banks. A snapshot of the progress made by banks under the 3 year Financial Inclusion Plan
(April 10 - March 13) for key parameters during the three year period indicates that banking
outlets increased to nearly 2,68,000 banking as on March 13 as against 67,694 banking
outlets in villages in March 2010. 7400 rural branches have been opened during this period
of 3 years. Nearly 109 million Basic Savings Bank Deposit Accounts (BSBDAs have been
added taking the total no of BSBDA to 182 million. Share of ICT based accounts have
increased substantially - Percentage of ICT accounts to total BSBDAs has increased from
25% in March 10 to 45% in March 13. About 4904 lakh transactions have been carried out in
ICT based accounts through BCs during the three year period.
After completion of the first plan period, we realized that there is a Access Usage conundrum
a large banking network has been created along with the opening of large number of bank
accounts. However, we have realized that simply creating the banking infrastructure and
opening banking accounts will not fulfill our objectives of achieving total Financial Inclusion.
To take the process, forward banks have been advised to draw up fresh 3 year Financial
Inclusion Plans for the period 2013-16. ensure involvement of all the stake holders in the
FI efforts and to ensure uniformity in the reporting structure under the Financial Inclusion
Plan, banks have are to ensure that the FIPs prepared by them are disaggregated and
percolated down upto the branch level. The focus under the new plan is to ensure that the
large banking network created is utilized for extending other products viz. credit products,
which will help make the business more viable for banks. This would also ensure that the
large number of accounts opened see an equally large volume of transactions taking place
and people reap the benefits of getting linked to the formal financial institutions.
XI. Robust Institutional Mechanism - Over the years one of our major achievements
and strength has been the creation of a robust institutional mechanism which would support
the roll out of banking services across the country. The Financial Stability and Development
Council (FSDC) which is headed by the Finance Minister. Under the aegis of the FSDC a
Sub-Group of FSDC headed by the Governor, RBI and within that a Technical Group,
headed by Deputy Governor, Dr K.C.Chakrabarty, exclusively mandated for financial
inclusion and financial literacy. In order to gauge the performance of banks and to
continuously review the various models adopted under FI, RBI has constituted a Financial
Inclusion Advisory Committee (FIAC), headed by a Deputy Governor, Dr K.C. Chakrabarty.
XII. Road ahead extending the frontiers of the formal financial system
XIII. For growth to be truly inclusive requires broadening and deepening the reach of
banking. A wider distribution and access of financial services helps both consumers and
producers increase welfare and productivity. Such access is especially powerful for the poor
as it provides them opportunities to build savings, make investments, avail credit and more
important, insure themselves against income shocks and emergencies. As the real economy
is dynamic, it is imperative that the banking system is flexible and competitive to cope with
multiple objectives and demands made on it by various constituents of the economy. To
address the issues of urban poverty we have brought the metropolitan urban areas like
Mumbai under the planning and review mechanism of the lead bank scheme
Now to outline the way forward for meeting our possible dream of Financial Inclusion
5. NEW BANK LICENSES to ensure that the banking system grows in size and
sophistication to meet the needs of a modern economy and for improving access to banking
services, we are in the process of evaluation of new bank license applications They are
expected to go beyond simply beefing up infrastructure like handheld devices, smart cards,
better vendors and service providers, etc necessary to scale up the FI activities. These new
banks are expected to bring new technology innovative models bring in new business and
delivery models which would speed up the roll out of financial services to remote areas.
Financial Inclusion will work on the ACTA model Accounts, Cash in Cash Out, Transactions
and adjacencies which will help to build a revenue stream.
6. BUSINESS and Delivery Model - There are many challenges being faced while
implementing financial inclusion. Of 2,68000 banking outlets nearly 221000 are BC ie nearly
82% percent. Sustainability and scalability of the BC model is essential. More and more
innovative products will have to be introduced which would benefit both banks as well as the
rural people and at the same time make the BC model more viable. Review of the cash
management practices for delivery of banking services through the branchless modes need
to be done for ensuring scaling up of the various models.
- Using the first phase of our FI initiative, we have
7. Usage of banking services
successfully opened 74000 outlets in the rural areas. Going forward our idea is to enable
more transactions in these accounts by providing more credit products, which will not only
help rural people to avail of credit at comparatively lower rates of interest but at the same
time also make the BC model viable for banks. Skills and capacity building of BC is as
important
8. Financial Education - We have adopted an integrated approach for financial
inclusion wherein the supply side initiatives will be ably supported by initiatives on the
demand side. In this direction banks will have to support financial literacy and awareness
drives to make people understand the benefits of linking with the banking system. Including
financial education in the school curriculum so as to educate children about the benefits of
banks and banking services. Will go a long way in inculcating responsible banking habits at
the young age. In this direction the Technical Group of the FSDC has already come out with
a National Strategy on Financial Education.
9. Collaborative efforts - Finally, financial inclusion cannot be achieved without the
active involvement of all stakeholders like RBI, other financial regulators, banks,
governments, NGOs, civil societies, etc. The current policy objective of inclusive growth with
financial stability cannot be achieved without ensuring universal financial inclusion. Banks
alone will not be able to achieve this unless an entire support system would be partnering
with them in this mission. All the stakeholders need to join hands and make it possible. The
support of policymakers, regulators, governments, IT solution providers and public at large
would bring a decisive metamorphosis in Indian banking.
10. As stated by our Governor, Dr. Raghuram Rajan, we have to reach everyone,
however remote or small, with financial services. Financial inclusion does not just mean
credit for productive purposes; it means credit for healthcare emergencies or to pay lumpy
school or college fees. It means a safe means of remunerated savings, and an easy way to
make payments and remittances. It means insurance and pensions. It means financial
literacy and consumer protection. I should emphasize the need for banks like the ones
represented in this room to move beyond simply opening bank accounts to ensuring that
poor customers are confident and comfortable enough to use them. Innovation in reaching
out to the underserved customer, rather than simply posting higher numbers in branches or
bank accounts opened, has to be part of our efforts. We need a frugal, trustworthy, and
effective Indian model for financial inclusion. Our measure of success should be the jobs that
are created, not by giving government subsidies or protections to labour-intensive industries
or sectors but by developing a facilitating, though competitive, environment that will result in
the emergence of the best solutions. This I would suggest the way forward for meeting our
dream of Financial Inclusion. Some of the measures are already in pipeline. We are awaiting
the forthcoming recommendations of the Dr. Nachiket Mor Committee, the Dr. Sambamurthy
committee will also guide us how to expand mobile banking in India through encrypted SMS
based funds transfer in any type of handset. So in sum while several challenges do present
themselves they catty within them the core of opportunities which will spur development
impulses and lead to growth with equity. Thank you for a patient hearing.