Opinion | Digital Banking and the Viksit Bharat Vision: Transforming the Lives of Kashmiri Women

A developed nation is not defined solely by higher economic growth, expanding infrastructure or technological advancement. It is equally reflected in how women experience development in their everyday lives.

Money has never been merely about money. It determines who makes decisions, who waits for permission and who remains dependent despite contributing equally to the household. For decades, this invisible side of finance received little attention in Kashmir. Discussions on women’s empowerment centred on education, employment and political participation, while financial autonomy remained quietly confined within the walls of the home. The expansion of digital banking has begun to change this long-standing arrangement by placing financial control more directly in women’s hands. This social shift reflects an important dimension of the Viksit Bharat vision, which seeks development that is not only economic but also inclusive.

For a long time, financial exclusion in Kashmir was rarely discussed because it appeared ordinary. Many women contributed to household incomes through handicrafts, agriculture, livestock rearing, tailoring and other home-based work, yet their relationship with money often remained indirect. Payments were frequently received in cash, savings were commonly managed by male family members, and many women relied on their fathers, husbands or sons to handle banking-related work. In many rural bank branches across Kashmir, men usually came alone, while many women visited with their husbands, sons or another relative. For them, a simple visit to the bank depended on someone else’s time, availability and willingness to accompany them.

The spread of digital banking has brought a positive change in many ways. Receiving a payment no longer necessarily requires a physical visit to a bank, nor does checking an account balance depend on updating a passbook. For many women running small businesses from their homes, receiving a payment has become faster than it was before digital banking. Whether it is a Sozni artisan, boutique owner or someone selling homemade products online, payments increasingly come directly into their accounts instead of passing through someone else’s hands. Across Kashmir, many home-based entrepreneurs and women associated with self-help groups are now receiving payments directly into their own bank accounts through digital platforms.

The real change goes much further than saving time. Digital banking is gradually changing who participates in financial decision-making within households. Experience across countries has shown that when women exercise greater control over financial resources, spending is more likely to prioritise children’s education, healthcare and household well-being. In Kashmir, where women have traditionally shouldered much of the responsibility for family welfare, direct access to financial services strengthens their ability to make informed choices rather than merely implement decisions made by others. Financial inclusion, therefore, is not only about opening bank accounts; it is about expanding women’s voice in the economic life of the family.

It is in this context that the vision of Viksit Bharat acquires social meaning. A developed nation is not defined solely by higher economic growth, expanding infrastructure or technological advancement. It is equally reflected in how women experience development in their everyday lives. When government assistance reaches a woman’s own bank account, when she receives digital payments for her products or decides herself how her earnings are saved and spent, development then not just remains a figure in official reports.

In Kashmir, digital banking is therefore not simply a technological innovation; it is gradually becoming part of a broader process of social and economic transformation in which women are emerging as active participants rather than passive beneficiaries.

The picture, however, is not the same everywhere. Digital banking cannot transform lives where digital access itself is unequal. Many women, particularly in rural and remote parts of Kashmir, still face barriers such as limited smartphone ownership, unreliable internet connectivity, low digital literacy and concerns about online fraud. Even today, in some households, digital transactions are still carried out by husbands, sons or another family member, even when the bank account belongs to the woman herself. This shows that access alone is not enough. The next step is to ensure that women can use these services independently through improved digital literacy, stronger internet connectivity, and greater awareness of online safety.

This is where the idea of Viksit Bharat finds its real meaning in Kashmir. It is not only about expanding banking services or increasing digital transactions. It is about ensuring that managing one’s own money becomes an ordinary part of women’s lives, not something unusual. When a woman receives payment for her work directly into her account, checks her balance herself, or decides how to spend that money, the change is already visible. If such everyday moments become common across Kashmir, they may well be among the most meaningful outcomes of the Viksit Bharat vision.

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