Digitization & Bridging the Digital Divide in the COVID-19 Era

The digital divide may be lower today but many people are still left out of the digitization ambit as demonstrated during the COVID-19 crisis. The key question here therefore is how to enable these potential users to cross barriers imposed by literacy and language and make better use of digital technology to conduct financial transactions?

That said, what can governments, central banks, banks, non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs), MFIs, fintechs, cooperatives and other financial institutions do to ensure greater digitization on the ground? What specific steps can they take in real time to bridge the digital gap? One key action by all these stakeholders, especially during the COVID-19 crisis and thereafter, is to ensure that essential ecosystem and infrastructure for digitization exist and are used at the level of banks, NBFIs, MFIs, fintechs, cooperatives and other stakeholders during and after the COVID-19 crisis .

Session Plan:

It is in this context that a free virtual conference is being organized, with participants from all over the world encompassing all stakeholders. The conference will explore several themes including the following:

• What are the key aspects that need the immediate attention of governments, central banks, banks, NBFIs, MFIs, fintechs, cooperatives and other financial institutions to ensure greater digitization in the COVID-19 era and thereafter?
• How can these be implemented in real time on the ground by the aforementioned stakeholders concerned, especially during and after the COVID-19 era so as to bridge the digital gap?
•  What mechanisms are necessary along with incentives for smooth and seamless implementation of these digitization mechanisms at central banks, banks, NBFIs, MFIs, fintechs, cooperatives and other financial institutions?
•  The format of the virtual conference will include presentation(s), discussions and wrap-up.