HSBC India Announces Rs 200-Crore Financial Literacy Programme

HSBC India on Thursday announced a Rs 200-crore, four-year financial literacy programme aimed at strengthening financial capability, preventing fraud and improving livelihood resilience among underserved communities across the country.

The programme, which will run from 2026 to 2030, will be implemented nationwide through partnerships with non-profit organisations, academic institutions and research bodies. It will particularly focus on women, youth, migrant workers, persons with disabilities, low-income households and first-time users of formal financial services.

The initiative was inaugurated by Pam Kaur, Group Chief Financial Officer of HSBC Holdings plc, along with other senior HSBC executives, including India CEO Hitendra Dave and Aloka Majumdar, Managing Director and Head of Sustainability at HSBC India. The programme will be guided by an advisory group comprising professionals and sector experts to ensure practical, scalable and measurable outcomes.

India has expanded financial inclusion significantly, with approximately 60 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana accounts, including around 33 crore held by women. The Reserve Bank of India's Financial Inclusion Index also rose to 70 in March 2026 from 67 a year earlier.

However, HSBC India said access to financial services must be accompanied by the knowledge and confidence to use them safely and effectively, particularly as digital payments and technology-driven financial services expand.

The programme will focus on three key areas: promoting digital financial tools and their responsible use; improving financial decision-making and fraud prevention; and strengthening income opportunities through enterprise development and better access to social protection schemes. It will also seek to equip first-time digital finance users to identify risks such as phishing, identity theft and other forms of financial fraud.

"True financial well-being begins with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to use financial services safely," Dave said, highlighting the importance of financial literacy and consumer protection in sustaining trust in the formal financial system.

Majumdar said the initiative would go beyond awareness-building to encourage safer financial behaviour and help communities move from financial access towards lasting financial well-being.