DLitt Research Proposal Presentation

Dr. Kunal Sil presented his DLitt Research Proposal at Centre for Breakthrough Thinking on Bangladesh on May 23, 2024. He presented his research proposal on “ Role of Innovation in Indian Post Payment Bank in West Bengal, India.” Dr. Kunal Sil is doing his research under the Co Supervision of Dr. Sitangshu Khatua, Dean, Xavier Business School at St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata. The event was conducted on virtual mode and experts like Ms. Zakiya Sultana, Ruchi Khandelwal, Dr. Kripa Shanker and other renowned delegates attended the event. The session was chaired by Dr. Muhammd Mahboob Ali, Professor, Dhaka School of Economics, Bangladesh. Dr. Kunal Sil is researching on Indian Post Payment Bank, West Bengal, India. Indian Post Payment Bank was launched in India on Sept 1, 2018. A payment bank is a new form of bank constituted by the Reserve Bank of India on the recommendation of Dr. Nachiket Mor committee to widen the spread of payment and provide financial services to low-income households, small businesses, and the migrant labour workforce.

In India irrespective of IPPB there are various payment banks such as Airtel Payment Bank- 2017, Fino Payment Bank-2017, Paytm Payment Bank-2017, NSDL Payment Bank-2018 and Jio Payment Bank-2023. Presently, IPPB has almost 9Cr customers and 650 branches all over the India. As per 2023-24, IPPB has reached their break even.

In spite of such an astonishing growth, IPPB is facing several challenges in terms of lack of credit facilities, rural infrastructure, IPPB core banking staffs and threat from private players, like Airtel Payment Bank. Research objectives are set as to research Indian post offices' involvement in financial inclusion, to develop a suitable methodology for BFSI training to assigned staffs and desirous CSPs, to minimize all the hurdles, associated with expansion of IPPB in West Bengal.

In order to achieve these objectives , few research questions are prepared, like what difficulties do Indian Post Payment Bank face in reaching the unbanked communities for providing credit facilities? and how IPPB can encourages people in the unbanked communities opening accounts with zero balance? For data collection, primary data will be used. The same would be obtained by organizing financial camps at different districts in West Bengal. So far, Dr Kunal Sil has arranged 6 financial camps and collected data through preparing open ended questionnaire. Accordingly, statistical analysis will be done.

His work is highly appreciated by Zakiya Sultana, Ruchi Khandelwal, Dr. Kripa Shanker and

Session chair Dr. Muhammd Mahboob Ali. Dr. Muhammd Mahboob Ali wished him a success in his research endeavour.

- Press Release