India’s Fintech Story Must Advance Gender Justice and Inclusion: President Murmu

Bhubaneswar: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday underscored that India’s fintech journey should be remembered not merely as a story of technological innovation but also as one of gender justice and social inclusion, urging entrepreneurs to ensure that technology becomes a tool for equity rather than exclusion.

Addressing the first edition of the India Black Swan Summit 2026 in Bhubaneswar, organised by the Odisha government in collaboration with the Global Finance and Technology Network, the President said rapid technological advances have transformed India’s financial ecosystem but have also brought new challenges such as cybercrime, misinformation and digital fraud.

“In the past decade, fintech has become a lifeline for farmers, small shopkeepers and women through direct benefit transfers and digital payments,” she said, adding that women must be viewed not only as end users but also as leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs in the fintech ecosystem.

President Murmu cautioned that technology by itself does not guarantee inclusion, noting that citizens in remote, tribal and rural areas often lack digital skills. She stressed the importance of skilling and digital literacy to ensure fintech drives employment, entrepreneurship and social justice. Emphasising the need to counter online financial fraud, she said digital and financial literacy should be integrated into school curricula at an early stage.

The President also appreciated Odisha’s BharatNetra initiative, aimed at building a future-ready workforce in digital, financial and insurance technology, and expressed confidence that the deliberations at the summit would have a transformative impact beyond the state.

Welcoming the President, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the summit marked a milestone in Odisha’s effort to position itself as a global hub for emerging technologies such as fintech, artificial intelligence and insurtech. He said Odisha’s development strategy has focused on credible governance, institutional strength and people-centric growth.

Majhi said that within 20 months of his government taking office, Odisha has created a business-friendly environment through structural reforms, simplified processes and sector-specific policies. He pointed out that projects worth over Rs 2.5 lakh crore have already been grounded following the Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha initiative.

Highlighting BharatNetra as a cornerstone of the state’s technology push, the Chief Minister said the programme is built on four pillars skills, innovation, mindshare and global capability centres and aims to train over 7,000 youth over the next five years in partnership with institutions from Singapore and Japan.

According to state information technology minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling, who was also present in the summit, said the event, being held in India for the first time, has attracted around 1,700 delegates from 24 countries.

The minister urged policymakers, investors and entrepreneurs to place Odisha at the centre of their future plans, reiterating the state’s vision of becoming a “Samruddh Odisha” by 2036 and contributing to a developed India by 2047.