Finance Forward South Asia 2019

India’s fintech sector is booming. Indian fintech startups, which raised $2.3 billion in equity funding in 2018 (a 300% increase since 2016), and government services like the Unified Payments Interface have made it easier for Indians to transact online.

Still, hundreds of millions of Indians are operating in the informal economy. For instance, nearly 40% of lending to small business is still done through informal channels, and almost half of India’s bank accounts are inactive.

We think entrepreneurs can change that narrative.

For our fifth annual Financial Health accelerator in India,  a collaboration between Village Capital, PayPal and Metlife Foundation, we are looking to support entrepreneurs building creative and affordable solutions to help underserved individuals, households, and small business owners access affordable financial services, manage their income and expenses, and protect themselves from financial shocks.