> Posted by Merene Botsio, Financial Inclusion 2020 Project Coordinator, CFI
Data visualists, rejoice! Much to our excitement, MIX has released the highly interactive India Map of Financial Inclusion. You might remember our profiling the MIX Africa Map of Financial Inclusion for the Poor late last year.
Launched in partnership with Citi Foundation, the innovative map is a visual representation of two geographic quantifiers of financial inclusion in India – banking correspondents (BCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs). The information is available at both the state and district level, and is set against a backdrop of demographic and development data, such as population, vehicles, and mobile phones. With this map, we have a panoramic view of the access points and supply of financial services for low-income households and their businesses, as well as potential mediums to advance inclusion.
The map sheds light on the progress that India is making through its novel methods to extend financial services to persons at the bottom of the pyramid, particularly those in rural areas that are unreachable by mainstream banks and MFIs. This is highlighted brightly in the map, which outlines the location and number of banking correspondents (BCs) to be set up in each district within villages of more than 2,000 persons according to government plans. Regarding MFIs, the map offers insight into the number of institutions operating, the total number of outstanding loans, and the total loan portfolio in each district. This map is a great asset in tracking the advancement of financial inclusion within India.
MIX also released the raw data it used to make the map, as well as some analysis of the data, which can be found here.
To learn more about the new map, and for contact information at MIX, find the press release here.
Image credit: MIX
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