Digital Finance, Financial Inclusion & Digital Transformation

For millions of households across South Asia, access to financial services remains uneven, unreliable, or absent altogether. DIA’s research in financial inclusion examines how people save, borrow, transfer, and manage money — and what it takes for formal financial systems to reach those who need them most. Our field research captures the realities that aggregate data misses, from the mechanics of digital adoption to the social dynamics that shape financial decision-making.

Projects Featuring Digital Finance, Financial Inclusion & Digital Transformation

Understanding Constrained Users’ Experience of UPI-Based Digital Payment Apps

Making UPI more accessible and intuitive for migrant workers, gig workers, and women.

Partners

Dvara Research, Centre for Social and Behaviour Change,

Evaluation of CropIn agricultural information technology services on farming outputs India

Can technological access to educational and market information affect farmer output? A study of soybean farmers in Maharashtra.

Partners

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF),

Customer Protection in Microfinance: Regulatory Compliance Monitoring Tool

Studying the impact of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) new regulatory framework on the microfinance sector.

Partners

Dvara Research,

Endline Data Collection on Financial Inclusion in Begusarai, Bihar

Evaluating the social and economic outcomes of a financial inclusion programme under JEEViKA, Government of Bihar.

Partners

Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Inclusion Economics India Centre (IEIC), IFMR, Krea University,

The Impact and External Validity of Mobile Money Interventions in South Asia

Testing whether the impacts of mobile money on migrant households in Bangladesh replicate in a larger sample across the subcontinent.

Partners

The World Bank Group, National University of Singapore, Florida International University, University of Exeter, New York University,

Impact of a Digital Platform on Farm Finances

Understanding the impact of digital record-keeping on farm finances, production choices, and profitability in agriculture.

Partners

University of Cambridge, Birkbeck, University of London, Monash University, Keynes Fund, University of Cambridge, Faculty of Business and Law, Birkbeck, University of London,

Digitizing Women’s Money Management

Understanding the dynamics influencing financial management practices among women in economically disadvantaged households.

Partners

Dvara Research, Gramin Vikas Trust,

What we do

We partner with governments, development agencies, foundations, and private organizations to generate high-quality evidence, strengthen programmes, and translate research into meaningful policy and social impact.

  • Data Analytics & Policy Research

    Turning complex data into actionable insights that inform evidence-based government and development policy.

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  • Impact Evaluation

    Rigorous evaluations using RCTs and causal inference to measure real programme outcomes and impact.

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  • Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

    Comprehensive MEL systems helping organisations track performance and drive continuous, adaptive learning.

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  • Programme Design & Strategy

    Designing practical, evidence-informed programmes that are scalable, results-oriented, and built to last.

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  • Qualitative Research & Behavioural Insights

    Understanding human decisions and behaviour through interviews, ethnography, and mixed-methods research.

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  • Survey Research & Field Operations

    We provide end-to-end survey and field research services, from initial research design through to final, analysis-ready datasets.

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