Digital financial services present unprecedented opportunities for the financial inclusion of vulnerable sections of society by overcoming the barriers of cost, distance, transparency, and by providing financial services tailored to their needs. Despite rapid strides in the digital financial inclusion in India, women face barriers to access and usage of digital financial services. The study uses secondary data to examine the regional profile of the gender gap in digital financial inclusion in India. The analysis shows that the economic development of the state does not determine the gender disparity in digital financial inclusion. The study also identifies key barriers to women’s access to digital financial services. Based on a primary survey of women in rural and urban areas the study shows that digitalization can help enhance women’s social and financial autonomy. Hence, these findings suggest that a gender sensitive approach to financial inclusion is imperative for the success of policy initiatives.

The fintech revolution has many ramifications for the financial market microstructure, regulatory framework and entire society. Policymakers across the world have begun to pin their hopes on digital initiatives and the fintech for financial inclusion. They believe that the fintech can lead to better access to finance. This study provides a thematic analysis of the qualitative data leading to four major themes in the newly evolving Indian fintech landscape. The themes that emerged from the in-depth interviews with the key informants, are evolution, potential, market strategy and regulatory. The findings suggest that fostering training and awareness amongst the customers is imperative to build up their trust. Regulatory interventions should also be based on proper engagement and learning with other stakeholders of the ecosystem.