TheRural Marketing Association of India (RMAI) and Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool) jointly hosted the Rural Fintech and Financial Inclusion Forum 2025 in Mumbai on November 7, 2025, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, innovators, and academics to discuss how fintech can drive financial inclusion in rural India.
The day-long event featured panel discussions and keynote addresses on topics such as digital lending, microinsurance, agri-fintech, rural payments, and investment flows into emerging rural enterprises. SBI General Insurance served as the Sponsor Partner, while WeSchool acted as Host and Knowledge Partner.
In his address, RMAI president Puneet Vidyarthi highlighted the forum’s human-centered approach, emphasising that ‘villages are the backbone of India’s economy, and formal financial tools remain unavailable to very large swathes of the rural population; fintech can bring tailor-made credit and financing options to small farmers and entrepreneurs; and financial inclusion is inseparable from social inclusion.’
Delivering the keynote, Dr. Arun Raste, managing director & CEO of NCDEX, discussed fintech’s potential to complement traditional banking systems. Reflecting on technological evolution, he observed that fintech should be seen as a strategic opportunity for banks to expand reach, reduce costs, and personalise products. Dr. Raste also addressed operational challenges such as trust deficits, infrastructure gaps, and lack of collateralised credit histories, proposing pragmatic solutions like alternative credit verification and resilient delivery models.
The forum hosted sessions on ‘Building Financial Inclusion for Rural Bharat – The Road Ahead’, ‘Investment and Capital Flow into Rural Fintech’, and ‘Innovation in Agri and Microfinance Solutions’, featuring participation from financial institutions, startups, venture capital firms, and rural development organisations.
Puneet Vidyarthi added, “The Rural Fintech Forum was conceived to bring together diverse voices shaping India’s rural financial ecosystem. It’s encouraging to see the industry, academia, and policymakers align toward building a more inclusive and digitally empowered Bharat.”
The event also recognised the contributions of WeSchool’s faculty and students for their involvement in organising the forum, which served as a meaningful step in strengthening dialogue around rural fintech innovation and inclusion.
(afaqs! got this information in a press release)
