FINTECH FOR INCLUSION AND SUSTAINABILITY: A FIVE-YEAR LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF SBI’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65009/eqc55193Keywords:
Fintech Adoption, Digital Transformation, Financial Inclusion, Sustainability, Public Sector Banks, Platform-Based Banking (YONO), Digital Lending Ecosystems,,Abstract
This study examines the role of fintech in advancing digital transformation, financial inclusion, and
sustainability within India’s public banking sector through a five-year longitudinal case study of
the State Bank of India (SBI) covering FY2020–21 to FY2024–25. Drawing on secondary data
from SBI’s sustainability reports, the analysis integrates fintech literature with empirical trends
across seven domains: digital banking platforms, digital lending, inclusion infrastructure, payment
ecosystems, API banking, cybersecurity, and green fintech. The findings reveal that SBI’s fintech
led initiatives—particularly the YONO platform, e-MUDRA loans, pre-approved digital credit, API
partnerships, paperless workflows, and international digital onboarding—have substantially
expanded access, operational efficiency, and environmental sustainability. SBI’s hybrid inclusion
model, combining digital channels with Customer Service Points and Business Correspondents,
demonstrates how fintech can complement physical networks to reach underserved regions. The
study also highlights the growing role of cybersecurity and digital trust mechanisms in enabling
safe adoption at scale. Overall, the case shows that fintech-driven transformation in large public
sector banks can generate inclusive, sustainable, and globally scalable outcomes, offering practical
insights for policymakers, regulators, and financial institutions in emerging markets.
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