Rural Finance and Financial Inclusion : A Synthesis of Policy Milestones and Emerging Paradigms

Since independence, the field of rural credit has traversed a long terrain. This book is a good synthesis of the evolution and development of the domain from a theoretical as well as practical perspective. It is a fundamental literature on rural finance mechanisms as well as financial inclusion initiatives in India. Although the field of rural credit is vast and specialised, the authors have carefully picked up the most important components of this domain, which will be immensely useful to readers to get first-hand knowledge on the subject. While it traces the important institutional mechanisms of rural and agricultural credit in India, it also discusses the emerging paradigms of rural finance and ICT interventions, which can potentially restructure delivery mechanisms to encourage product innovation for serving the financial needs of those at the bottom of the pyramid population. The authors have attempted to cover every important aspect of rural finance by incorporating relevant discussions on institutions, governance, policy framework, schemes, and practices along with issues and concerns in the area of agricultural finance, rural credit and financial inclusion. The text has been woven in a cohesive manner so that the reader can appreciate the historic milestones while comprehending the present situation. Each chapter has been pinned to the larger developmental context to drive home the key issues concerning this field.