9, Dec 2023
India for the World – 20th Global Inclusive Finance Summit

New Delhi, 9th December 2023 – The Global Inclusive Finance Summit, a pinnacle in the global discourse on financial inclusion, is set to commemorate its 20th edition on December 12th and 13th, 2023, at Hotel Ashok in New Delhi. With a diverse array of over 120 speakers, the summit encompasses a spectrum of stakeholders, including government officials, regulators, policy influencers, financial institutions, technology enablers, investors, thought leaders, researchers, academicians, foundations, and private sector players. Global Inclusive Finance Summit is one of the most prominent conferences that promotes dialogue and enables action guided by the goal of achieving financial inclusion in an inclusive, and responsible manner.

This year’s theme, “Future of Finance – Inclusive and Equitable Growth for All”, underscores the summit’s commitment to fostering financial systems that benefit individuals across economic strata. The milestone summit has evolved over two decades to become the largest gathering dedicated to advancing financial inclusion globally.

This year the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, is the co-host of the summit. Dr. Vivek Joshi, Secretary, of the Department of Financial Services, will deliver the Inaugural Address. Key Speakers of the event are Alkesh Wadhwani, Director, Poverty Alleviation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; V. Vaidyanathan, Managing Director & CEO, IDFC First Bank; S. Ramann, Chairman & Managing Director, Small Industries Development Bank of India; Munish Sharda, Group Executive and Head, Bharat Banking, Axis Bank; Rajnish Kumar, ex-Chairman, State Bank of India; Atanu Chakraborty, Chairperson, HDFC Bank, among other eminent industry experts.

Excited about hosting the summit’s 20th edition, Vipin Sharma, CEO, ACCESS Development Services, said “With the 20th Summit we are transitioning from financial inclusion in India to a global remit – looking to share India’s transformational journey with the world and learn from experiences in other countries and regions. The 20th Summit coincides with the 10th year of the PM Jan Dhan Yojana – the largest financial inclusion campaign in the world, and the completion of 30 years of the self-help group movement – which happens to be the biggest microfinance programme for women globally. The Summit will celebrate both these milestones and deliberate on the Future of Finance including important themes ranging from access to finance for micro and nano-enterprises and women enterprises, gender lens investing, customer protection, fostering inclusion through digital tech, financing for climate adaptation, the evolving landscape of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and self-help group (SHG) lending, to name a few.”

There will be International panels featuring global thought leaders who will contribute to a richer exchange of ideas and practices, creating a platform for shaping the future of financial systems. The summit will also showcase how 40% of the population has embraced digital payments, with the government ensuring the efficient transfer of social benefits to the poor through digital channels.