About

Many technology based companies are disrupting the global market for financial services with new products and solutions, some of which are well suited to reach underserved, low income or remote customers in emerging market and developing economies. Fintechs have generated a lot of excitement in the global development community and many have also had significant market impact. But what is their role in improving delivery of financial services specifically to rural individuals, households, and enterprises?

Between 2016 and 2018, CGAP supported 18 fintechs in Africa and South Asia that provided financial services to low-income or underserved customers to draw linkages and better understand their potential to improve financial inclusion, including in rural areas. In the recently published Fintechs and Financial Inclusion: Looking past the hype and exploring their potential, CGAP researchers present findings from analysis of  these fintechs, some of which provide value chain finance products, credit for agricultural inputs, and location-based access to finance for farmers. These findings suggest that fintechs have the potential to advance financial inclusion in rural areas, particularly through smartphone-based payments, connections-based finance, location-based finance and derisking finance for non investment purposes. However, many business models require further development and further evidence of impact. In this webinar, Gayatri Murthy, Financial Sector Specialist at CGAP and coauthor of the study, will discuss its findings and some recommendations for policy and practice.

Speaker

Gayatri Murthy, Financial Sector Specialist at CGAP

Gayatri leads CGAP’s research on how fintech startups can catalyze financial inclusion. She has over 10 years of experience in building customer-centric financial services for underserved customers. She has led workshops for staff from financial institutions around the world, including at training events organized by the Boulder Institute for Microfinance, the Social Performance Task Force and the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance. Before joining CGAP, Gayatri worked at Intermedia, where she conducted nationally representative surveys, impact evaluations and qualitative studies on the role of digital technologies in financial inclusion and civil society building.