Riding on the accolades for its splendid show in Kolkata, NABARD was invited by MoF and RBI to showcase its digital financial inclusion initiatives on the sidelines of the FCBD and FMCBG Meetings at JW Marriot, Golfshire, Nandi Hills, Bengaluru from 22nd to 25th February 2023.

The exhibition on ‘Digital Innovations for Advancing Financial Inclusion’ also saw participation from UIDAI, NPCI, SIDBI and RxIL, while RBI’s CBDC, Transcorp International and IDFC First Bank participated for the first time. All entities showcased their FI initiatives in an interactive manner.

Shri Shaktikanta Das, Governor, RBI at the NABARD stall

The NABARD display, once again, set the standards in the Exhibition. Raising its bar still higher, post the Kolkata experience, our stall had a display inventory in excess 100 videos and stories, spanning across various States and UTs. The themes, classified under four major initiatives, viz., Banking Technology adoption (using micro ATMs), Mobile ATM Demo Vans, Financial Literacy efforts and FI through SHGs/JLGs, were effectively showcased on four touch-screen panels with dedicated headsets. For this exhibition, individual QR Codes for each display collateral was also made available to the visitors, in addition to the existing feature of bulk and customisable downloads using the now familiar Info Fountain.

An animated video about the process of cash withdrawal using the micro ATM and an animated journey of NABARD capturing its milestones was another new and enriching highlight of this exhibition.

The visiting delegates also took part in the now much-sought-after interactive quiz on G20 which was again facilitated through tablets. All quiz participants received a hand carved memento [a hand-carved wooden elephant, sourced and packaged so elegantly by our Karnataka RO] and a coaster, as a ready takeaway (on a sustainable material) with a message on digital financial inclusion on one side and a QR code containing 18 of the best of our videos and success stories on financial inclusion. These were widely acknowledged and appreciated.

Ms. Christine Lagarde, Chairperson, European Central Bank
Shri Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India interacting with NABARD officials
Shri Vivek Joshi, Secretary, DFS, GoI receiving a token of appreciation

The NABARD Stall witnessed impressive footfalls, with the Who’s Who of the financial sector, both within the country and abroad, visiting and enjoying the exhibits.

Dr Shaktikanta Das, Governor, RBI, visited our stall on the first day itself and spent quite some time interacting with the NABARD team and intently enquiring about the various display material. Shri Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Vivek Joshi, Secretary, DFS, Shri Ajay Seth, Secretary, Economic Affairs, Shri T Rabi shankar, Deputy Governor, RBI, Ms. Parvati Kataria, Under Secretary, MoF, Dr. Mohua Roy, Advisor-in-Charge, RBI, Shri Sudatta Mandal, DMD, SIDBI, Shri Anil K Sharma, ED, RBI, Shri Ajay Kumar Choudhary, ED, RBI and Shri Rakesh Jha, ED, ICICI were other dignitaries who graced our stall.

Prominent amongst the international delegates were Ms. Christine Lagarde, Chairperson, European Central Bank, Ms. Suzanne, Ministry of Finance, Germany, Mr. Jacob Owens, Department of Treasury, USA, representatives from Central Bank of Italy, Central Bank of Mauritius, Ministry of Nigeria, Central Bank of China.

The paperless display platform at our stall was hugely appreciated and the visitors were able to download the videos, success stories and infographics on to their mobile at one go through a QR codes facilitated through the interactive panels and the ‘Info-fountain’.

Thus NABARD had showcased adoption of digital innovations in advancing financial inclusion in Reaching the Last, the Lost and the Least.

Delegates taking part in interactive quiz