PM Jan Dhan Yojana 12-Year Transformation of Financial Inclusion
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28th August 2014, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has completed 12 years as the world's largest financial inclusion initiative. As of 19th August 2026, the scheme has achieved remarkable milestones: 59.09 crore accounts have been opened with total deposits of ₹3.17 lakh crore. The average deposit per account stands at ₹5,356, representing a 3.4-fold increase over the 12-year period (August 2026 compared to August 2015), while total deposits have increased 12.8 times and the number of accounts has grown 2.3 times during the same period.
The scheme demonstrates strong inclusive characteristics with 56% of account holders (32.92 crore) being women and 78% of accounts (45.95 crore) located in rural and semi-urban areas. PMJDY provides basic bank accounts with no minimum balance requirement and no maintenance charges, along with a free RuPay debit card that includes an accident insurance cover of ₹2 lakh. Account holders are also eligible for an overdraft facility of up to ₹10,000.
A total of 41.29 crore RuPay cards have been issued to PMJDY account holders as of 19th August 2026. The scheme has played a pivotal role in extending life and accident insurance to millions of unorganized sector workers through associated Jan Suraksha schemes including PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and PM Suraksha Bima Yojana.
The Jan-Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile (JAM) trinity, with PMJDY at its core, has enabled direct, transparent, and diversion-proof delivery of welfare benefits to underprivileged citizens by eliminating intermediaries and delays. Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary emphasized that the scheme's success lies not just in the numbers but in transforming India's banking landscape by delivering financial services to the poorest citizens without delay or middlemen involvement.
The scheme's mission-mode approach, regulatory backing, public-private partnerships, and integration of digital public infrastructure like Aadhaar for biometric verification have been key drivers of its success. PMJDY continues to serve as the foundational step toward financial inclusion, enabling savings and credit access including MUDRA loans for previously excluded populations.