Supply-Side Dimension of Financial Inclusion in India: A Composite Index Analysis of Availability of Financial Services across Indian States

This study examines the availability dimension of financial inclusion in India from a supply-side perspective by analysing state-wise disparities in the availability of financial services during 2012–2024. The study is based on secondary data collected from official sources and evaluates the performance of states and union territories across four reference years. The availability dimension reflects the physical presence and outreach of financial institutions and infrastructure across regions. A comparative and categorisation approach has been adopted to identify the top and bottom performing states in terms of financial service availability.
The findings indicate considerable regional disparities in the availability of financial services across India. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu consistently remained among the top-performing states throughout the study period, while Karnataka also showed sustained improvement. In contrast, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Mizoram, and Sikkim consistently ranked among the bottom-performing regions. The study concludes that economically advanced and urbanised states possess better financial infrastructure, whereas geographically remote and less developed regions continue to lag behind in financial service availability.

Availability, Financial Inclusion, Supply-Side

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