99.92% Of India’s Villages Have Banking Access Within 5 Km: Government

New Delhi, Aug 4 (KNN) India has achieved near-universal banking coverage, with 99.92 percent of inhabited villages having access to a banking outlet within a 5-km radius, the Ministry of Finance said in the Lok Sabha.

99.92 percent Villages Have Banking Access Within 5 Km

According to data uploaded on the Jan Dhan Darshak (JDD) App, 6,00,868 of the country's 6,01,328 inhabited villages are covered by a bank branch, Business Correspondent (BC) or India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) centre within the prescribed distance.

As of July 17, 2026, the banking network comprised more than 1.81 lakh bank branches, 17.36 lakh BCs and 1.65 lakh IPPB centres, reported ANI.

The government aims to ensure banking access within 5 km for all inhabited villages, particularly to improve financial service delivery in rural and remote areas.

RBI Allows Banks To Expand Rural Branch Network

The Reserve Bank of India has permitted commercial banks, small finance banks, payments banks, local area banks and regional rural banks to open branches anywhere in the country without prior approval, subject to the requirement that 25 percent of such branches be opened in unbanked rural areas.

Jan Dhan Accounts Reach 58.77 Crore

As of July 17, the number of accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) stood at 58.77 crore, with aggregate deposits of Rs 3,12,414 crore.

The government has also expanded digital infrastructure for agricultural credit delivery. 

The Jan Samarth Portal provides a single digital platform for government-sponsored loan and subsidy schemes, while NABARD's e-KYC application and KRISHIKA support beneficiary identification, outreach, loan processing and monitoring.

The Kisan Rin Portal, launched in September 2023, enables Aadhaar-based beneficiary verification and faster digital claim settlement under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme for Kisan Credit Card loans.

Government, RBI Step Up Measures Against Cyber Fraud

Meanwhile, the government and RBI are strengthening measures to tackle cyber financial fraud. 

The India Digital Payment Intelligence Corporation has been established to facilitate real-time sharing of fraud intelligence and alerts using technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics.

The RBI has also introduced digital payment security controls and launched the AI-based 'MuleHunter' tool to identify money mule accounts.

Citizens can report cybercrime through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and helpline 1930.

The information was provided by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in the Lok Sabha.

(KNN Bureau)