Determinants of Successful Financial Inclusion in Low-Income Rural Population

Abstract

Finance plays a key role in the growth of developed as well as developing nations. A financially well included society leads to stronger growth. Financial inclusion aims at providing easy and affordable access to financial products and services. The main concern for any developing nation from a growth point of view is advancement of low-income rural population just as much as the high-income population. Taking a note of this, identifying the key determinants that would lead to successful financial inclusion of low-income rural population is equally, if not more, important. The inclusion strategies have to be built around these determinants to promote inclusion and thus, a clear picture of these determinants is a must have for strategy and policy makers. Though the factors may be somewhat similar across the nation, but their significance and impact on financial inclusion varies greatly from one geographical area to other. In line with this, the purpose of this study is to identify the dimensions of successful financial inclusion in the low-income rural segments with special reference to Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The study uses factor analysis to identify the determinants and path analysis to analyse the significance of these factors in financial inclusion.