5 Startups Simplifying Bharat’s Financial Inclusion Story

FinTech BizNews Service

Mumbai, 11 June 2026: India’s fintech boom is no longer limited to metros or the tech-savvy. It is rapidly reaching Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, as well as rural communities that have long remained underserved. Powered by affordable smartphones, UPI, and robust digital public infrastructure, a new generation of startups is making banking and financial services more accessible, simple, and inclusive.

From assisted banking and digital payments to credit, insurance, and financial literacy, these startups are bridging the gap between traditional financial systems and Bharat’s growing aspirations, driving meaningful financial inclusion at scale.

Here are five startups that are simplifying financial services for underserved communities across the country:

1. PayNearby – India’s Branchless Banking Network

 For millions across Bharat, especially in smaller towns and villages, accessing banking services can still mean travelling long distances to the nearest branch. PayNearby is helping bridge this gap by enabling neighbourhood retail stores to offer banking and digital services within local communities. As India’s leading branchless banking and digital services network, PayNearby empowers local retailers with technology to provide services such as cash withdrawals and deposits, insurance, credit, e-commerce, travel bookings, and utility bill payments closer to where customers live.

Today, PayNearby’s network of over 15 lakh retail partners spans more than 20,000 PIN codes, serving over 5 crore customers and facilitating nearly 25 crore transactions annually. Through its Digital Naari initiative, the company is also enabling women entrepreneurs across Bharat to become banking and digital service providers within their communities, driving both financial inclusion and economic empowerment.

2. Tide – Empowering Small Businesses Through Digital Financial Tools

 Tide is simplifying business banking and financial management for India’s small business owners, freelancers, and micro-entrepreneurs, many of whom operate outside the formal financial ecosystem.

The platform provides MSMEs with digital business accounts, automated bookkeeping, expense management, invoicing solutions, and access to financial education tools. By removing the complexity associated with traditional banking systems, Tide enables small businesses to focus on growth rather than paperwork.

Beyond financial tools, Tide has also launched initiatives such as Udaan Chronicles and the Bharat Women Aspiration Index (BWAI), aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs and small business owners in semi-urban and rural India through mentorship, upskilling, and financial awareness. With a mobile-first approach and simplified onboarding processes, Tide is helping underserved entrepreneurs transition into the formal economy.

3. Khatabook – Helping Small Businesses Go Digital

 For many small shopkeepers and local businesses, managing daily accounts and cash flow can be challenging. Khatabook is helping simplify this process by digitising traditional bookkeeping practices. The platform allows small business owners to record transactions, track payments, send reminders to customers, and manage their business finances through a simple mobile application. Over time, Khatabook has expanded its offerings to include business banking solutions, lending support, and other financial services designed specifically for India’s small merchants.

By helping micro and small businesses build digital financial records, Khatabook is enabling greater financial discipline, improving access to formal financial services, and supporting the digital transformation of Bharat’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

4. Jai Kisan – Unlocking Credit Access for Rural India

 Jai Kisan is a fintech platform that helps enhance access to credit facilities for farmers, agripreneurs, and other rural enterprises in India. Using technology-based underwriting and alternate data systems, Jai Kisan provides credit solutions for the agricultural sector and rural commerce activities.

The platform caters to financing needs associated with agricultural inputs, farm machinery, and other rural supply chain financing needs by providing services for people with no formal credit history. By integrating fintech with rural commerce and agriculture, Jai Kisan is helping strengthen financial inclusion and improve credit accessibility across Bharat’s rural economy.

5. Kiwi – Simplifying Credit on UPI for Digital-First Consumers

 Kiwi is a fintech platform focused on making credit more accessible and seamless through UPI-enabled payments. The company combines the convenience of UPI with the benefits of credit cards, allowing users to make everyday payments using virtual RuPay credit cards linked to UPI apps. Through its app, Kiwi enables users to scan and pay via UPI while earning cashback and rewards on daily transactions such as groceries, dining, utility payments, and local merchant purchases. The platform also offers instant onboarding, digital card issuance, and simplified credit access designed for mobile-first consumers.

The Road Ahead for Financial Inclusion in Bharat

While India’s road to financial access is increasingly being shaped by fintech solutions based on the actual challenges in Bharat, it is clear that conventional financial institutions are still expanding and fintech companies are creating innovative opportunities in this sphere.

From the ability to turn a rural woman entrepreneur into a bank correspondent, assisting small business owners to go digital, and giving credit opportunities to farmers, these firms are changing the face of financial services. However, in the process of building a digitalized economy in India, the future success of fintech solutions will be determined by the concept of financial inclusion as much as that of innovation.