Abhishek Sinha
New Delhi, January 19, 2026: Two Bank Mitras associated with FIA Global—Chandrashekhar Paithane and Sunil Kumar—have been conferred with the prestigious Changemaker Award at the Global Inclusive Finance India Summit 2026. The awards were presented by Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, and Hitendra Dave, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC India.
The Changemaker Award recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to expanding financial access and improving financial practices among underserved communities, including women, informal workers and tribal populations. The Global Inclusive Finance India Summit 2026 was organised by ACCESS Development Services in partnership with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and HSBC. The summit brought together global leaders from banking, fintech and policy-making domains to promote data-driven approaches for advancing financial inclusion.
Chandrashekhar Paithane, a Bank Mitra with FIA Global attached to the State Bank of India in Amravati, Maharashtra, has been playing a pivotal role in delivering essential banking services at the grassroots level. His work includes Aadhaar-enabled payments, passbook updates, pension-related documentation and facilitation of government direct benefit transfers under schemes such as Ladli Behna Yojana and Janani Suraksha Yojana. He regularly reaches out to underserved populations, including residents of slum clusters, to help them open bank accounts and receive government benefits. In addition, he conducts financial literacy camps to create awareness about savings and flagship government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana. Serving over 500 customers daily with a small team, his operations are comparable to those of a cooperative bank.
Sunil Kumar, also a Bank Mitra with FIA Global, is attached to the State Bank of India in Fatehabad district, Haryana. Through his consistent efforts, he has been instrumental in improving access to formal banking services for rural and semi-urban communities in the region, contributing significantly to the financial inclusion agenda.
About FIA Global
Founded in 2012, FIA Global aims to extend formal banking and financial services to unbanked and underbanked populations in rural and semi-urban areas, supporting their journey towards financial well-being. The organisation works with over 50 financial institutions, including public sector banks, private banks, regional rural banks, mutual funds and insurance companies. FIA Global delivers services across more than 9,000 postal codes in India through its network of Bank Mitras and digital platforms, managing over 30 lakh transactions daily.
Dr V Anantha Nageswaran presenting the Changemaker Award to Chandrashekhar Paithane, while Hitendra Dave felicitates Sunil Kumar at the Global Inclusive Finance India Summit 2026.
