Author(s): Chatla Umadevi and Saritha P
In the economic development of a nation, banks occupy an important place. Commercial banks as financial institutions have also emerged as significant sources of funds to industry by virtue of which they constitute an important element of the institutional structure of the capital market in India. Banks assist the establishment and development of well-economic infrastructure for better living standards and are a good source for the procurement of credit to vulnerable groups. They initiated varied financial products and services for inclusive growth at affordable costs. The main purpose of the study is to identify the specific role played by commercial banks in India for achieving financial inclusion. In this research, Firstly, the authors will talk about the significance of financial inclusion in detail; later, the focal point is on the initiatives and role of commercial banks to achieve financial inclusion. The study is based on a systematic review of the literature. The researchers have reviewed the literature of the last decade to realize the financial inclusion growth through the banks. A longitudinal manner literature review has been carried out. The findings of this review paper suggested that various significant contributions rendered by the Indian banking sector towards inclusive growth and to the unbanked populace are Bank branch penetration, Setting up of BC/BF outlets to a large extent, no-frill accounts opening with nil or no balance, Expansion of ATM density in rural and semi-rural areas, Rendering flexible credit facility to MSMEs, SHGs and Villagers to make them economically strong, the introduction of technology-based initiatives such as online banking, Mobile banking, telebanking, Kiosks, and smart cards, simplified KYC norms, distributing General credit cards and Kisan credit cards, and enhancing the financial literacy among the public. The study also concentrates on the performance of banks for financial inclusion before and after the adoption of ICT technology in India.