To help make savings more accessible for low-income households in India, Developing World Markets (DWM) partnered with Suryoday Small Finance Bank and Saathi Money to launch the Digital Savings and Resilience Program. Our aim is to show how technology can transform the way small finance banks in India – which were originally set up with the mandate of financial inclusion - can support resilience within low-income households. The program uses digital innovation, behavioral science and group-based savings models to reach underserved communities at scale.

India holds an estimated 24,000 tonnes of gold valued at $2T, with 60% concentrated in rural areas. This vast reserve remains largely untapped, with only 5,300 tonnes being used as formal collateral. Women, who are traditional custodians of household gold in India, face particular barriers in accessing formal financial services - while 86% own bank accounts, less than 10% have access to formal credit due to limited credit histories and complicated collateral restriction