New Delhi, India: India has achieved near-universal banking coverage, with 99.92% of inhabited villages now located within a five-kilometre radius of a banking outlet, supported by an extensive network of bank branches, business correspondents and India Post Payments Bank centres.
According to information shared by the Ministry of Finance, 6,00,868 of India’s 6,01,328 inhabited villages are now served by a banking outlet, which includes bank branches, Business Correspondents (BCs) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) centres, within a 5-kilometre radius. The data was compiled by banks under the Jan Dhan Darshak (JDD) application.
The country’s banking network currently comprises more than 1.81 lakh bank branches, 17.36 lakh Business Correspondents and 1.65 lakh IPPB centres as of 17 July 2026, forming the backbone of financial inclusion efforts across urban and rural regions.
The government said expanding banking access in remote areas remains an ongoing priority. Under Reserve Bank of India guidelines, commercial banks, small finance banks, payments banks, local area banks and regional rural banks are permitted to establish branches across the country, while State Level Bankers’ Committees and Union Territory Level Bankers’ Committees continue to identify uncovered locations based on local requirements and commercial viability.
Financial inclusion has also been supported through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). As of 17 July 2026, the scheme had recorded 58.77 crore accounts, with total deposits amounting to ₹3,12,414 crore.
The ministry also outlined several initiatives aimed at improving agricultural credit delivery. These include the Jan Samarth Portal, digital e-KYC applications developed by NABARD and the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP), which facilitates Aadhaar-based beneficiary verification and faster claim settlements under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme for Kisan Credit Card loans.
To strengthen the security of digital payments, the government and the RBI have introduced multiple measures, including the establishment of the India Digital Payment Intelligence Corporation (IDPIC) for sharing real-time fraud intelligence, RBI’s Digital Payment Security Controls, the AI-powered MuleHunter system for identifying money mule accounts, and cyber fraud awareness campaigns. Citizens are also encouraged to report cyber financial fraud through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and the 1930 helpline.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Finance Shri Pankaj Chaudhary in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Source: This article is based on an official press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Ministry of Finance, Government of India
Press Release Page | Press Information Bureau
