Modi Hails Jan Dhan Yojana’s Transformative Impact As Scheme Turns 12
PMJDY Accounts Rise From 14.7 Crore In 2015 To 59 Crore In 2026
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed the transformative impact of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) over the past 12 years. The first project launched by Modi after taking over as PM, the scheme now has about 59 crore beneficiaries and has seen the transfer of about ₹53 lakh crore directly.
Highlighting the government’s financial inclusion programme's role in expanding access to formal banking and empowering people across the country, Modi in a post on social media said, “Today, India's banking landscape tells a different story, with crores of Jan Dhan accounts, wider rural access, greater participation by women and banking reaching the last mile.”
The Prime Minister launched the PMJDY as one of his very first programmes on August 28, 2014. The scheme has since emerged as a key component of the country's financial inclusion efforts. Over the years, its expansion has sought to ensure that access to banking is not determined by a person’s location or proximity to a traditional bank branch. As the world's largest financial inclusion initiative, the PMJDY continues to redefine access to banking for all Indians.
The PMJDY ensures that every unbanked adult has access to a basic bank account with no minimum balance requirement and no maintenance charges. Each account comes with a free RuPay debit card, offering an accident insurance cover of ₹2 lakhs, encouraging digital transactions and financial security. Account holders are also eligible for an overdraft facility of up to `10,000, providing a safety net during emergencies.
“Unprecedented scale and transformative outcomes! Jan Dhan Yojana has had an unparalleled impact," Modi wrote on X, referring to a post by MyGovIndia, the government of India's innovative citizen engagement platform.
According to MyGovIndia, the number of Jan Dhan accounts has increased to around 59 crores in 2026, bringing most of into the formal financial system and enabling greater participation in the formal economy.
“A bank account is more than a number. It is a financial identity. From 14.7-crore Jan Dhan accounts in 2015 to 59 crores in 2026, India has expanded formal banking access at an unprecedented scale, bringing millions into the financial system and enabling greater participation in the formal economy,” MyGovIndia said in a series of social media posts.
“There was a time when access to formal banking depended on where someone lives, financial standing or simply how far the person concerned was from a bank," MyGovIndia added. The programme has also witnessed substantial women's participation. Nearly 33-crore women hold Jan Dhan accounts, accounting for around 56 per cent of all Jan Dhan account holders.
The expansion of banking access has also extended beyond major urban centres. Around 46-crore Jan Dhan accounts are held in rural and semi-urban areas, representing approximately 78 per cent of all Jan Dhan accounts. The government has also used the Jan Dhan banking network to facilitate the direct transfer of welfare benefits. MyGovIndia said that ₹53-lakh crore has been transferred through direct benefit transfer (DBT) to beneficiaries, including Jan Dhan account holders.
