• Government encourages the financial sector to embrace disintermediation and adapt to evolving credit and savings trends.
• Focus on ensuring smooth financial flows to MSMEs, low-income households, and productive sectors.
• Digital tools, reforms, and innovative financing are highlighted as key enablers for inclusive growth.

The government has urged the financial sector to embrace change and work collectively to ensure smooth flow of funds across the economy. Speaking at the CII Financing Summit, Economic Secretary Anuradha Thakur emphasized that rather than resisting disintermediation, the sector should analyze trends and channel finance effectively to MSMEs, low-income households, and other priority segments.

Thakur highlighted significant shifts in the financial landscape, including growing market-based funding, declining CASA ratios, rising IPO activity, and increased corporate reliance on internal resources. She said these trends present opportunities for the industry and regulators to rethink traditional methods and strengthen distributional equity.

The secretary also stressed the role of digital infrastructure, reforms, and targeted schemes like Mudra, Stand Up India, and the Credit Guarantee Scheme in widening access to finance. Initiatives such as GST cuts, UPI, and direct benefit transfers have helped create inclusive, efficient financial systems. Thakur further pointed out that deeper capital markets, REITs, InvITs, and the IFSC at GIFT City provide innovative channels to mobilize savings and investments.

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She concluded by noting that sustaining high economic growth requires the financial sector to remain a strategic driver, connecting savings with productive investment, supporting entrepreneurship, and enabling long-term inclusive development.