State of Agent Banking in Himachal Pradesh

Despite the acknowledged importance of agent banking, limited research explains ground-level practices and challenges backed by data. Based on extensive fieldwork spanning approximately 1000 person-days across 301 locations, this report aims to advance the understanding of India's agent banking model, an intervention deemed to be the most effective means of achieving financial inclusion across the developing world.

The report helps understand the critical role that Aadhaar, India's digital identity system plays in furthering the agent banking ecosystem in the country. It presents operational practices and sentiments of the banking agents as well as the financial behavior and preferences of rural banking clients.