Financial Inclusion, Inclusive Growth and the Poor

The term financial inclusion means a comprehensive and holistic process of ensuring access to financial services and credit by vulnerable and marginalized groups in the society. Inclusive growth means broad-based benefits to all sections of people. The Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-12) envisioned inclusive growth as a key objective. India’s Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17) with its focus on Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, has put the growth debate in the right perspective.

Growth is inclusive when it creates economic opportunities, along with ensuring equal access to them. The concept inclusion should be seen as a process of including the excluded as agents whose participation is essential in the very design of the development process and not simply as welfare targets of development programmes.

     Indian economy has made rapid strides in the recent past. However, a sizeable section of the population continues to remain excluded from even the most basic opportunities and services provided by the financial sector. The present volume contains 12 scholarly papers—authored by experts in the field of finance and development policy—which provide deep insights into various aspects of financial inclusion and inclusive growth efforts in India.