HSBC India has announced a ₹200 crore, four-year program to strengthen financial literacy across India. The program, running from 2026 to 2030, is designed to help communities move from having access to formal financial services to using them regularly, safely and confidently.
What the program covers
The program aims to build the knowledge, confidence and practical skills people need to use formal and digital financial services safely, make informed decisions, protect themselves from fraud and strengthen their livelihoods and financial resilience. HSBC India describes financial capability as a foundational life skill that can improve outcomes across education, livelihoods and social security.
Who it is for
The program focuses on women, youth, migrant workers, persons with disabilities, low-income households and first-time users of formal financial services.
The program is built around three pillars:
- Digital pathways to financial well-being: Using technology and artificial intelligence to help underbanked communities build confidence in digital financial tools and use them safely and responsibly.
- Financial capabilities and fraud prevention: Helping communities access and use formal financial products, make informed decisions, and identify and prevent fraud, with attention to people who are newly entering the formal financial system or have limited digital confidence.
- Enhancing income pathways: Promoting enterprise development and improving access to social protection schemes, so households can strengthen livelihoods, manage financial shocks and pursue more sustainable income.
How it will be delivered
The program will be delivered nationwide through non-profit, academic and research partners. An Advisory Group of professionals and sector experts is set to provide independent guidance, with the aim of turning the program’s goals into practical, scalable and measurable outcomes. Senior leaders from HSBC Group and HSBC India inaugurated it.
Why the focus on fraud
The announcement notes that first-time users of digital financial services can be particularly vulnerable to phishing, identity theft and other fraud, which can cause financial loss and weaken trust in formal services. The program is meant to go beyond awareness and build practical capability and safer financial behaviors.
Background on financial access
The announcement points to progress in financial inclusion: about 60 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana accounts have been opened, around 33 crore of them held by women, and the Reserve Bank of India’s Financial Inclusion Index rose to 70 in March 2026 from 67 in March 2025. It adds that access alone is not enough, and that the next phase must help people use financial services regularly and safely, supported by stronger digital capability and consumer protection.
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