MEDIA RELEASE
Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI) and Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool) hosts Rural Fintech and Financial Inclusion Forum 2025 in Mumbai
Date: November 7, 2025
Venue: Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai
The Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI) successfully hosted the Rural Fintech and Financial Inclusion Forum 2025 on November 7, 2025, at the Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai. The Forum brought together a cross-section of industry leaders, policymakers, innovators, and academia to deliberate on the evolving fintech landscape and its role in accelerating financial inclusion across rural India.
The day-long event featured insightful panel discussions, keynote addresses, and interactive sessions exploring emerging trends in rural fintech — including digital lending, payment solutions, microinsurance, agri-fintech, and investment flows into rural enterprises.
SBI General Insurance supported the initiative as Sponsor Partner, while Welingkar Institute of Management partnered as Host and Knowledge Partner.
Speaking at the event, RMAI President, Mr. Puneet Vidyarthi reinforced the forum’s human-centred message: villages are the backbone of India’s economy, and formal financial tools remain unavailable to very large swathes of the rural population; fintech can bring tailor-made credit and financing options to small farmers and entrepreneurs; and financial inclusion is inseparable from social inclusion.
Dr. Arun Raste, Managing Director & CEO, NCDEX delivered the keynote address, blending humour, historical perspective and technical insight: opening with an anecdote about the early internet era (“below 1 kb/s”) to connect generational change he argued that fintech should be seen not as a competitor but as a strategic opportunity for traditional banks — an opportunity to expand reach, reduce delivery costs, personalise products and digitise customer journeys. The keynote then moved into a candid assessment of rural fintech’s operational bottlenecks (including intermittent electricity, trust deficits, training constraints, technology failures an the absence of collateralized credit histories) and offered pragmatic responses such as using alternate verification of creditworthiness (e.g., historic savings behaviour) and deploying resilient power/operational models. He closed by pointing to specific opportunity areas—cheaper operating models for small-ticket investments (the SIP example), agri-data platforms (“AgriStat”-type services), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperatives—and emphasised that banks, fintechs and cooperatives are complementary allies in the mission of last-mile inclusion.
“The Rural Fintech Forum was conceived to bring together diverse voices shaping India’s rural financial ecosystem. It’s encouraging to see the industry, academia, and policymakers align toward building a more inclusive and digitally empowered Bharat.”
The Forum witnessed participation from leading financial institutions, fintech innovators, venture capitalists, and rural development experts. Key sessions focused on “Building Financial Inclusion for Rural Bharat – The Road Ahead,” “Investment and Capital Flow into Rural Fintech,” and “Innovation in Agri and Microfinance Solutions.”
The event also acknowledged the valuable contribution of Welingkar Institute faculty and students for their active involvement and support in organizing the Forum.
For more information, visit https://ruralfintech.rmai.in/
The Rural Fintech and Financial Inclusion Forum is a flagship platform designed by Rural Marketing Association of India, a premier and not-for-profit industry body devoted to furthering the cause of Rural Marketing in Asia to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time—building inclusive, technology-driven financial solutions for India’s rural economy. With over two-thirds of the population residing in rural areas, the potential for Fintech to transform lives and livelihoods is immense.
This forum brings together Fintech innovators, rural entrepreneurs, policymakers, financial institutions, investors, and development agencies to reimagine the future of financial services for underserved markets. Discussions will focus on bridging the gap between digital innovation and ground realities, while showcasing scalable models that empower rural households, farmers, micro-enterprises, and women entrepreneurs.
• Rural housing finance: challenges and opportunities for fintech
• Digital credit assessment and small-ticket lending in rural markets
• Agri-fintech solutions: credit, insurance, and value chain financing
• Role of technology: AI, blockchain, and satellite data in rural finance
• Building trust, awareness, and financial literacy at the grassroots
• Policy, partnerships, and ecosystem support for rural fintech growth
• Global learnings and best practices in rural financial inclusion
• Gain actionable insights into the evolving rural fintech landscape
• Learn from policy experts and industry leaders shaping financial inclusion
• Explore collaboration opportunities across fintechs, NBFCs, MFIs, and startups
• Engage with case studies and success stories from across India and beyond
Delegate Fee:
“The Future of Rural Fintech & BFSI – Opportunities and Challenges
• Role of NBFCs in rural lending
• Microfinance & alternative credit scoring models
• Policy reforms to ease rural credit flow
The Future of Rural Banking Agents (BCs, Sakhis, Cooperatives)
• UPI, AEPS & ONDC for rural markets
• Building trust & digital literacy in villages
• Rural-focused fintech startup models
• Expanding health, crop & life insurance coverage
• InsurTech innovations for affordability & access
• Leveraging govt. & private sector partnerships
• Venture Capital & Impact Investment trends
• Scaling rural fintech beyond pilots
• Role of DFIs & Public–Private Partnerships
Climate Finance & Green Credit in Rural India
• Current penetration of home loans in rural India.
• Growth trends in rural housing finance post-Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana (PMAY).
• Aspirations of rural households: shift from kutcha to pucca
houses.
• Rising rural income levels and remittance-driven housing demand.
The Rural Fintech Excellence Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding innovations and impactful initiatives that are driving financial inclusion in rural India. Honoring fintech companies, institutions, and individuals who have developed scalable, technology-led solutions for underserved communities, these awards highlight exemplary efforts in empowering rural households, farmers, micro-entrepreneurs, and women through inclusive financial services.
• Rural Fintech Leader of the Year – for outstanding contribution in transforming
rural financial services
• NBFC of the Year – Rural Focus – for an NBFC driving impactful rural credit
initiatives
• BFSI Excellence in Rural Banking – for a bank delivering scalable rural banking
solutions
• Rural Financial Inclusion Champion – for exceptional work in extending financial
services to underserved regions
• Best Rural Fintech Product/Platform – innovative digital solutions for payments,
lending, or savings
• Best Insurance/InsurTech Initiative in Rural India – driving penetration of
insurance products
• Digital Payments Excellence Award – promoting adoption of secure, inclusive
payment systems
• Social Impact in Rural Finance – measurable impact in improving rural livelihoods
through finance
• Best Public–Private Partnership in Rural Finance – collaboration between govt.,
corporates, fintechs or NBFCs
• Women Empowerment in Rural Finance – initiatives enabling women SHGs, banking
sakhis, or rural entrepreneurs
• Startup of the Year – Rural Fintech – high-growth startup solving rural finance
challenges
• Green Finance & Climate Credit Initiative – promoting sustainable and
climate-resilient finance models
• Investor of the Year – Rural Fintech Ecosystem – for VCs/DFIs/Impact investors
supporting rural financial innovation
For Online Payments IFSC/NEFT/RTGS - The banking details are
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Beneficiary Account Name: Rural Marketing Association of India
Account Number: 401745052
Bank Name & Address: Indian Bank A-12 A Sector -19 Noida
Uttar Pradesh - 201301(INDIA),
IFSC/NEFT/RTGS Code: IDIB000S152
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