*Associate Professor, K.M.M.Institute of Post Graduate Studies, Department of Management Studies, Tirupati
**Associate Professor, Department of Tourism, Nellore
***Assistant Professor, K.M.M. Institute of Post Graduate Studies, Department of Management Studies, Tirupati
Online published on 11 September, 2014.
The objective of the paper is to understand how financial inclusion through cooperative banks can be a viable option for inclusive growth in India. The present study is based on secondary data. The report of trend and progress of banking in India by RBI, annual report of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), Report of the Task Force to Study the Cooperative Credit System and Suggest Measures for its strengthening by RBI have been used as the data base. Compound growth rate, percentage change with graphical and tabular representation has been used for the analysis. The study covers the period from 1981- 2011. It is clear that Indian growth is not inclusive because it is seen that the real GDP percent change per annum and the growth of real GDP per head per annum follow an increasing trend whereas consumption inequality in India is increasing rapidly after 2004–05.
Also, though poverty or the number of poor is decreasing over the years, the trend is not substantial. By being local in nature and intricately interwoven with the local community, cooperative banks have a clear advantage over commercial banks for financial inclusion. Labor costs of cooperative banks are considerably less than that of commercial banks and generally operating costs are also minimal. It is evident that cooperative banks have feasible options for inclusive growth through rural development, creating opportunities for employment, income generation.
