IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, plans to help Financial Information Network & Operations Private Ltd. develop banking solutions that will help India’s microfinance institutions automate government payments, banking, and other financial services for underserved customers in rural areas.

Manish Khera, CEO of FINO, said, “This joint initiative is integral to our rural outreach strategy. This platform will, for example, help microinsurance providers process health insurance claims at lower costs and improve the flow of information to the insurer from the field.” FINO’s smart card–based platform will also make social and pension payments more efficient, reducing the cost of transactions and ensuring that end-users receive payments on time.

“We are pleased that this initiative will help improve rural productivity by extending credit and other financial services into rural India. It will also strengthen the country’s IT sector as a platform for better business services and innovative product development,” explained Paolo M. Martelli, IFC Regional Director for South Asia.

FINO and IFC will run pilot projects with leading microfinance institutions, banks, and government organisations to develop, customise, test, and expand the adoption of IT technologies in underserved rural banking markets. The two organisations will set up related training, conferences, and workshops for microfinance institutions.