Illustrative engagement. A representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work in financial services. It does not describe a specific client; outcomes are described qualitatively.
Industry overview
What is shaping financial services
Banks, NBFCs, fintechs and wealth firms compete on trust, convenience and fair pricing, while reaching new customers in smaller towns and online.
- Digital channels now lead customer acquisition
- Financial inclusion opens new segments
- Trust and complaint handling drive loyalty
Client background
A development finance institution, working in Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh. This is an illustrative engagement: a representative scenario showing how we approach this kind of work, not a named client project.
- Organisation
- A development finance institution
- Sector
- Financial services
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Government research, Offline data collection (CAPI), Quantitative research
Client challenge
The institution wanted to understand how rural women used bank accounts, credit and savings groups.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: measuring financial inclusion among rural women.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of women.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 10 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 4,000 women.
- women4,000
Audiences we typically reach in financial services
Retail customersSmall business ownersNew-to-credit customersBranch and agent staffWealth clients
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh. Market: India.
- India
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Household survey
- 3Insight
Female interviewers surveyed women in local languages about account ownership, usage, credit and barriers.
Government researchOffline data collection (CAPI)Quantitative research
Sampling strategy
- women
- 4,000
- Respondents were selected across Rajasthan & Madhya Pradesh using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
Data collection
- Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person on tablets (CAPI), with time and location recorded for every interview.
Data quality & validation
- Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
- Time and location checks on field interviews
- Supervisor accompaniment in the field
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
Key findings
- Many women owned accounts but rarely used them because of distance to banking points.
Access means proximity, not just an account.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: access means proximity, not just an account.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: many women owned accounts but rarely used them because of distance to banking points.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The institution supported more banking correspondents.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Evaluation findings with programme recommendations
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: what blocks financial inclusion?