Source: UN News: Tuesday, 07 July 2026 00:00 AM
Financial inclusion starts with a bank account, but financial security goes much further than that. It is also important for people to get help in handling daily expenses, recovering from sudden economic shocks and saving for the future. With this in mind, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, visited India from 23 to 25 June. Queen Maxima’s meetings in Mumbai and New Delhi were not limited to just policies and technology. They spoke to government representatives, regulators, financial institutions, development partners and innovators, as well as those who use financial services in their everyday lives. The main focus of the visit was to move from financial inclusion to financial health – that is, how people manage their daily expenses, how to recover from sudden economic shocks, how to take advantage of new opportunities and how to build financial security for the future. Get it. Queen Maxima said, “India is a great success story in the region. When I first came to India in 2009, financial inclusion was less than 40 percent. Today it is almost 90 percent.” While the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Stefan Priessner, described India as “one of the biggest financial development successes of the 21st century.” He said that in the last decade, India It has built a strong system of financial inclusion that has changed the way individuals and families connect with the formal financial system. “The challenge now is how to use India’s strong financial inclusion system more effectively to achieve tangible development outcomes,” he said. © Patrick van Katwijk UNSGSA Queen Maxima met with women and villagers to discuss their financial experiences, challenges and aspirations. Leading the way on India’s digital transformation, Queen Maxima said India’s progress has been based on digital public infrastructures like Aadhaar, India Stack, UPI system and Jan Dhan accounts. “India has done a lot of good work. Now the question is, what’s next?” India can now build on these strong foundations to further improve its financial health, especially as the country moves towards its goal of becoming a high-income economy by 2047, she said. © Patrick van Katwijk UNSGSA Queen Maxima took part in discussions organized by financial inclusion partners including IFC, CGAP, the Gates Foundation and the United Nations. Referring to the experiences of many countries around the world, Queen Maxima said that mere access to financial services is not enough. The real question is whether these services are actually improving people’s lives. He mentioned four aspects of financial health – managing everyday expenses, the ability to deal with sudden shocks through savings and insurance, meeting long-term goals like education, home, business and retirement, and feeling confident about one’s financial future. He advocated for policies, products and services that support these four dimensions. He said, “When people are under economic stress, they are often focused on how to pay the next bill, and this impacts productivity.” © Patrick van Katwijk Queen Maxima of the United Nations Social Security Organization (UNSGSA) visited India to promote financial health. Meeting people and discussing innovation An important part of the visit was talking directly to people who are using financial services in their everyday lives. In Mumbai, Queen Maxima met nurses who are trying to support their income and build emergency savings through financial services available at work. They also interacted with youth using digital banking apps, who are using these services for budgeting, saving and investing. Additionally, they also heard from women and rural residents about their financial experiences, challenges and aspirations. The discussions organized at the UN Bhavan by Flourish Ventures, International Finance Corporation (IFC), CGAP, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Gates Foundation and IIMA Ventures observed that artificial intelligence and responsible, How financial services can be better tailored to people’s needs through consent-based data sharing. Queen Máxima also reviewed digital tools that can help farmers make financial and business decisions by providing timely, local information. © Patrick van Katwijk Queen Maxima at the United Nations Building in New Delhi, the capital of India. Focus on strengthening financial security With the rapid expansion of digital financial services, the visit also highlighted the importance of consumer protection. Queen Maxima was shown a demonstration of measures to prevent digital financial fraud. Later he met Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra and discussed financial health, consumer protection and regulation. He also interacted with representatives of domestic workers and pension organizations. During this, measures to increase retirement savings and strengthen long-term financial security for informal sector workers were discussed. © Patrick van Katwijk UNSGSA Queen Maxima shares experiences of her visit to India with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Queen Maxima met with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the end of the visit, where she shared her experiences and observations related to her various programs across the country. Queen Maxima will be working towards financial health from 2024 onwards United Nations Secretary General Is a special advocate of. Earlier he called for inclusive finance for development from 2009 to 2024. United Nations Secretary General Served as special advocate of. In this role, she works with governments, regulators, international organizations and the private sector to advance financial systems that help people manage their everyday finances, recover from economic shocks, seize opportunities and feel secure about their financial futures.
