NEW DELHI. India’s flagship financial inclusion drive, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), has completed 12 years of nationwide implementation, marking a major milestone in expanding formal banking access across the country. Originally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 28, 2014, the initiative has now surpassed 59 crore account openings with total aggregate deposits reaching 3.17 lakh crore rupees.
Highlighting its reach among marginalized populations, 78 percent of these accounts are situated in rural or semi-urban areas and roughly 56 percent are held by women. Additionally, the scheme has facilitated digital transaction adoption by issuing over 41 crore RuPay debit cards, while pushing the average deposit per account to 5,356 rupees. At the core of the Jan-Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) trinity, the scheme continues to serve as a direct, transparent mechanism for delivering government benefits, successfully driving the country’s Financial Inclusion Index from 53.9 in 2018 up to 67 in 2026.
