RBI’s FI index rose 4.3 percent to 67 in March

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed that the country’s Financial Inclusion Index (FI Index) increased to 67 in March 2025, showing an increase of 4.3 percent compared to the previous year.

According to the statement of the central bank, this index was at 64.2 in March 2024. RBI said in a release, “The index has been compiled for the year ending March 2025. The value of the FI-Index for March 2025 is 67, while it was 64.2 in March 2024. It has seen an increase in all sub-indices such as access, usage and quality.”

The FI-Index is a measure developed by the RBI to track how well financial services are reaching people across the country. It shows the level of financial inclusion using data from various sectors including banking, insurance, investment, pension and postal services.

The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 means complete financial exclusion and 100 means complete financial inclusion. According to the RBI, the improvement in this year’s index is mainly due to improved performance in access and quality of financial services.

This shows that not only are more people using financial products, but they are also taking advantage of better service quality. The RBI also credited ongoing efforts in financial education and awareness campaigns for the positive results.

The Financial Inclusion Index is published once a year and was first introduced in August 2021, with data for the year ending March 2021. The index is based on three main parameters access, access and quality, which have different weights such as access 35 per cent, access 45 per cent and quality 20 per cent.

The RBI has developed this index in consultation with the government and sector regulators to present a comprehensive view of the integrity of the financial system. The latest rise in the FI-Index reflects continued progress towards making financial services more accessible and useful to people across India.