RRB digitisation push: Nabard to complete IT integration of merged rural banks by Sep 30; New tech, stacks and digital pilots aimed at bridging rural-urban divide – OXBIG NEWS NETWORK-OxBig News Network

The IT integration of recently amalgamated Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) under the ‘One State One RRB’ framework is likely to be completed by September 30, Nabard Chairman Shaji KV said on Monday.Speaking at a CII event, Shaji said the RRB amalgamation exercise, which took effect on May 1, aimed at enhancing scale efficiency and cost rationalisation across rural banking services. Post-merger, there are now 28 RRBs operating in 26 states and 2 Union Territories, with a combined network of over 22,000 branches covering 700 districts, according to PTI.“As of May 1, the integration of RRBs at the state level has been completed. IT integration is expected to be finalised by September,” Shaji said.He added that Nabard (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) is building a common digital infrastructure with the RRBs, rolling out credit platforms and government data systems to expand outreach in rural India. However, he acknowledged persistent challenges, including low internet bandwidth and limited awareness, but noted that collaborative efforts are underway with various organisations to resolve them.Highlighting the broader digital roadmap, Shaji said Nabard is working to digitise agricultural value chains—about 20 of which are already in place—and bring more farmers, especially those without formal land records, into the formal banking system.To further enhance reach and transparency, Nabard is also deploying blockchain-based crop traceability systems and strengthening Business Correspondent (BC) networks in rural areas.The chairman said the government is also building additional technology stacks like the Agri Stack, Fisheries Stack, and Cooperative Stack. The ‘Cooperative Stack’ aims to integrate various rural schemes via Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), creating a unified system for benefit delivery.He noted that Nabard is leading the cooperative digitisation effort, with around 70,000 societies already digitised. It is also supporting pilots in partnership with NGOs and FinTechs through the Financial Inclusion Fund.Addressing the rural-urban income imbalance, Shaji pointed out that two-thirds of India’s population contributes only one-third of the national income. Nabard is actively working on solutions to narrow this gap and transform farmers into agribusiness entrepreneurs.Additionally, the institution is setting up a sandbox environment that will allow fintechs to access anonymised data for developing rural-focused solutions, he added.