Akodara village in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat has earned the coveted tag of becoming India’s first digital village in India.
The village with a total population of 1,191 people and 250 households uses a various cashless system for payments of goods and services. All transactions in the village are carried out through digital modes like SMS, net-banking or debit cards.
The village with a total population of 1,191 people and 250 households uses a various cashless system for payments of goods and services. All transactions in the village are carried out through digital modes like SMS, net-banking or debit cards.
key facts:
- Akodara, which is located some 90 km from Ahmedabad, was adopted and developed by the ICICI Foundation as a digitised village with a rural branch of the bank.
The project was launched in January 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochar to mark 60-year-celebration of the ICICI group’s existence
- ICICI Bank adopted the village in 2015. It has now virtually gone cashless using digital technology.“Here most local financial transactions happen via mobile banking, card payments and net banking instead of cash. It’s India’s first digital and cashless village.
- The bank shortlisted six or seven villages. One important criterion was the level of financial literacy of the villagers. Akodara has literacy levels of almost 100 percent. There are 1,015 literate people and 176 illiterate ones in this village with a total population of 1,191. Another important factor that worked in Akodara’s favour was its animal hostel. This is Asia’s first animal hostel, and was launched in 2011 by Modi when he was the Gujarat chief minister.
