From Adoption to Impact: FinTech-Led Financial Inclusion in India Towards Viksit Bharat 2047
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1956/jge.v22i3.949Keywords:
FinTech Adoption, Financial Inclusion, Digital Financial Services, User Segmentation, Viksit Bharat 2047.Abstract
This paper considers how far the adoption of FinTech can achieve meaningful financial inclusion outcomes in India in the context of Viksit Bharat 2047. Although digital financial services (UPI, mobile banking, and digital wallets) have greatly increased access, the effects of digital financial services on sustained and inclusive financial participation have been uneven. To fill this gap, the study changes the analysis focus of access-based measures to usage-driven inclusion outcomes. A multi-method empirical framework was used, combining logistic regression, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. The results indicate that digital literacy, frequency of use, perceived security, and regulatory awareness are important determinants of financial inclusion. The study also notes that three different user groups, including active users, passive adopters, and excluded individuals, exhibit significant heterogeneity in post-adoption behaviour. The study will make a contribution to the literature by going beyond access-based indicators of inclusion. The findings can offer practical information to policymakers, financial institutions, and FinTech companies to develop specific, behaviourally informed interventions that will lead to sustained financial activity and the achievement of an inclusive digital economy by 2047.
References
Claessens, S., Frost, J., Turner, G., & Zhu, F. (2018). Fintech credit markets around the world: Size, drivers, and policy issues. BIS Quarterly Review, September 2018, 29–49.
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., Ansar, S., & Hess, J. (2018). The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring financial inclusion and the fintech revolution. World Bank Group. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1259-0
Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., & Ansar, S. (2022). The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial inclusion, digital payments, and resilience in the Age of COVID-19. World Bank Group.
Gabor, D., & Brooks, S. (2017). The digital revolution in financial inclusion: International development in the fintech era. New Political Economy, 22(4), 423–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/13563467.2017.1259298
Government of India. (2023). Viksit Bharat 2047: Vision for a developed India. Ministry of Finance.
Grohmann, A., Klühs, T., & Menkhoff, L. (2018). Does financial literacy improve financial inclusion? Cross-country evidence. World Development, 111, 84–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.06.020
Kempson, E., Finney, A., & Poppe, C. (2013). Financial well-being: A conceptual model and preliminary analysis. Consumption Research Norway (SIFO).
Klapper, L., Lusardi, A., & van Oudheusden, P. (2016). Financial literacy around the world: Insights from the Standard & Poor's ratings services global financial literacy survey. S&P Global.
Kumar, A., Patel, R., & Mehta, S. (2023). From passive adoption to active inclusion: Evidence from India's digital payments ecosystem. Journal of Emerging Market Finance, 22(1), 45–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/09726527221142789
Morgan, P. J., & Pontines, V. (2018). Financial stability and financial inclusion. ADBI Working Paper 488. Asian Development Bank Institute.
Mukherjee, S. (2020). Financial inclusion in India: An analysis of the gap between access and use. Journal of Financial Economic Policy, 12(3), 315–330.
NITI Aayog. (2021). India's booming digital payments: A new era of inclusive finance. Government of India.
Ozili, P. K. (2018). Impact of digital finance on financial inclusion and stability. Borsa Istanbul Review, 18(4), 329–340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bir.2017.12.003
Reserve Bank of India. (2022). Annual report on the state of digital payments in India. RBI Publications.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.
Shankar, A. (2022). FinTech adoption and financial inclusion: Do behavioural biases matter? Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 21(3), 574–590. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2026
Sharma, D., & Kukreja, S. (2013). An analytical study: Relevance of financial inclusion for developing nations. International Journal of Engineering and Science, 2(6), 15–20.
Zins, A., & Weill, L. (2016). The determinants of financial inclusion in Africa. Review of Development Finance, 6(1), 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rdf.2016.05.001
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Global Economy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.