Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the scale and impact of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) over the past 12 years, saying the financial inclusion programme has played a significant role in expanding access to formal banking and empowering people across the country.
Sharing a thread posted by MyGovIndia on X, the Prime Minister said the Jan Dhan Yojana had delivered “unprecedented scale and transformative outcomes” and described its impact as unparalleled.
MyGovIndia highlighted the transformation in India’s banking landscape since the launch of the scheme, pointing to the expansion of Jan Dhan accounts, greater rural access, increased participation of women and the growth of last-mile banking services.
According to MyGovIndia, the number of Jan Dhan accounts has increased from 14.7 crore in 2015 to around 59 crore in 2026, bringing millions of people into the formal financial system and enabling greater participation in the formal economy.
The programme has also witnessed substantial participation by women. Nearly 33 crore women hold Jan Dhan accounts, accounting for around 56 per cent of all Jan Dhan account holders. The wider access to formal banking is helping increase women’s participation in the financial system and strengthening financial inclusion at the household and community levels.
The expansion of banking access has also extended beyond major urban centres. Around 46 crore Jan Dhan accounts are held in rural and semi-urban areas, representing approximately 78 per cent of all Jan Dhan accounts. The figures underline the growing reach of formal banking services among communities outside India’s major cities.
The government has also used the Jan Dhan banking network to facilitate the direct transfer of welfare benefits. MyGovIndia said that ₹53 lakh crore has been transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to beneficiaries, including Jan Dhan account holders. Direct transfers enable funds to reach beneficiaries without multiple intermediaries and are aimed at making welfare delivery more transparent and efficient.
MyGovIndia also highlighted expansion of banking infrastructure in rural areas. Today, nearly 100 per cent of villages have a banking outlet within 5 km, significantly reducing geographical barriers to accessing formal financial services.
The Jan Dhan ecosystem has also become increasingly integrated with India’s digital payments infrastructure. More than 41 crore RuPay cards have been issued to Jan Dhan account holders, connecting millions of beneficiaries with digital financial services and allowing them to participate more actively in the country’s growing digital economy.
The last-mile delivery of banking services has been further strengthened through more than 13.5 lakh Bank Mitras, who extend banking services to communities beyond conventional bank branches.
MyGovIndia described these developments as evidence of a major transformation in India’s banking journey, contrasting the earlier barriers to formal banking access based on location and financial circumstances with today’s wider availability of banking services.
The Jan Dhan Yojana, launched in 2014, has emerged as a key component of India’s financial inclusion efforts. Over the years, its expansion has sought to ensure that access to banking is not determined by a person’s location or proximity to a traditional bank branch.
